Abandoned Amtrak Station: Rockford Illinois

An abandoned Amtrak/Chicago Central station in downtown Rockford IL. Amtrak service is now coming back to Rockford and there will be trains running by the end of 2009.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Amtrak
• Chicago
• Central
• Rockford
• Illinois
• Abandoned
• Train
• Station

[Hermdog69]

Hi Nezzy,

It's located southwest of the Main Street/Mill Street intersection. You have to walk across the rail bridge to get there though, unless the fence has been removed.

[Hermdog69]

Not a fan of the new Prez, but supposedly him and Biden are big supporters of Amtrak. Where did you get your facts?

[Hermdog69]

Really? Check out rrstar . com. (No periods) and search for Amtrak.

[Hermdog69]

Yes, Amtrak will be going to Galena, Rockford, Dubuque, and a few other stations.

[musthavejava]

If you listen closely...you can hear the faint rumble of an Amtrak locomotive, her shiny coaches hitched behind, as she idles restlessly at Chicago Union Station, eager to begin her journey to Rockford, Illinois. Have faith and hope: the trains WILL come again!

[chadjconnell]

please - at hot bed of criminal activity?? it is a city w/population of 150,000 + so yes there are gonna be bad areas-just do a little research b4 moving and you'll be fine

[greatunclemetz1]

DID IT HAPPEN ?

[celixdog04]

I beleive if this station has not sadly been torn down.. it will be soon. The RHSS site shows the following :

Rockford Ill. Central S. Main St. P vacant 1954 in use brick CN To be demolished! Field checked 3/11

Awsome you got back there with some video.

[royalflush5000]

This train station and the warehouse just to the north of it were torn down in April. The site has been graded for construction of a new station.

[spidersean43]

Wait... You said they'll be coming back? Crap. Have they?

Well, looks like I'm not gonna be filming there now...

[drummernezzy]

@ModalTrains4884 ok thanks--i'll check it out when it's WARMER out!

[ModalTrains4884]

@drummernezzy

its on South Main. Down by where the waterfront takes place at in the old rail yard.

[ModalTrains4884]

i live in rockford and it would be nice to see Amtrak/commuter service restored here. I know i would use it.

[driveinnut61]

Very cool footage...thanks for posting! Two other cool clips, of abandoned drive in theaters, are "M-37 snack bar oddity" AND "snack bar graffiti at the plainfield". There is something very alluring about these abandoned sites and it's fun to watch the clips here on you tube!

[arbutuswatcher]

While the desire for passenger train service may be there, the funding has to be in place, and the community has to support it. Local businesses have to derive some gain from it, or this is a dead issue - nostalgia aside.

[arbutuswatcher]

Sadly, the promises of passenger train service returning to Rockford, on one of the 3 lines that traverse the town have been uttered many, many times before. To be competitive, the railroad would have to travel at speeds comparable to those of the traffic on the interstate. None the lines that currently serve Rockford are equipped to do that. In fact, the cost factor alone to upgrade the crossings, signaling, and track/roadbed is enough to dissuade CN, UP, or ICE.