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.

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  Travel & Events

[Josef Ratzinger]

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.

[Josef Ratzinger]

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

[Josef Ratzinger]

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

[Barton Bishoff]

Wow, that is really odd that a city with almost 200,000 residents an hour from Chicago wouldn't have train service. Was there a nuclear power accident there?

[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

[Shizzlacher]

Btw, it's 2013 & we haven't even seen the first brick laid for a new train depot on that site (let alone an ETA for when train service will be restored in town). That comes as a surprise to nobody here at all.

[Shizzlacher]

Actually, Rockford was something of a thriving metropolis in the '60s. You probably just have an axe to grind.

[sjnathan100]

I lived and worked in Rockford in the mid to late '60s. It was the arm pit of the nation then. I shudder to think what it looks like now! I took the train numerous times to Chicago from that train station on S. Main.

[twistababedee]

I've never seen the amtrek would be nice to see it pretty sad all of rockfords past is disappearing used to be nice and busy in the 50s

[CoDisafishy]

Haha the whole thing is pretty much bad, anything in the southwest side of Rockford is super ghetto. There are rich neighborhoods though, but you have to be rich to live in them, obviously haha

[CoDisafishy]

We have a trolley haha

[RosPratch]

It is 2012. Where are the Amtrak trains? Doubt there ever will be any such service.

[airassualt100]

YUP! Right next to Crapago (AKA Chicago), Crapford (AKA Rockford) is America's largest cess pool! I friggen hate this place and I will leave here as soon as humanly possible and never come back!

[royalflush5000]

For a satellite photo, go to Google Maps, move the map to where the station was located, and select satellite view. The station will not be there. I don't have one, unfortunately.

[celixdog04]

*nod* mind you.. the area of this depot (was) is actually a bit lower on the income level as it's mostly industrial and lower income area. The last time I drove by the depot was on a Saturday around 3pm and store already had the Window/Door gates down. But personally I think the area just screams awesome and is amazing with everything that's around. I beleive at one time I had found many rail cars from MILW RD in a rail yard around the area. Never found it since. ^^;