Lake Country Limited

The Lake Country Limited was a short-lived Amtrak route which connected Chicago, Illinois with Janesville, Wisconsin. The route was part of Amtrak's Network Growth Strategy, which envisioned an expanded role for mail and express business. The Lake Country Limited would have exchanged goods with a new Chicago–New York train named the Skyline Connection, which in the end never began operation. The previous time when there was interstate train service along the route was the era immediately before Amtrak (April 30, 1971) when the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) operated the Sioux and the Varsity trains.

Lake Country Limited
The Lake Country Limited near Janesville in 2000
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleIllinois, Wisconsin
First serviceApril 15, 2000
Last serviceSeptember 23, 2001
Former operator(s)Amtrak
Route
StartChicago, Illinois
Stops2
EndJanesville, Wisconsin
Distance travelled98 miles (158 km)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)342, 343, 344
On-board services
Catering facilitiesNone
Baggage facilitiesCarry-on only
Technical
Rolling stockHorizon or Amfleet coaches
Track gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed30 miles per hour (48 km/h)
Track owner(s)Metra
Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
Route map
98 mi
158 km
Janesville
67 mi
108 km
Zenda
Wisconsin
Illinois
18 mi
29 km
Glenview
0 mi
0 km
Chicago

Route

Trains originated at Chicago's Union Station and ran north over the tracks of Metra's Milwaukee District/North Line. Northwest of Fox Lake, Illinois, it ran over tracks owned by the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad and the state of Wisconsin to a temporary platform outside of Janesville. The poor condition of the Fox Lake–Janesville stretch limited trains to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).[1]

The initial route was Chicago–Glenview–Janesville; on June 15, 2000, an additional stop was added at Zenda, Wisconsin to serve Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a popular resort community. The train consisted of one engine, one coach car, and one non-powered control unit (NPCU).[2]:185

References

  1. Gribble, Roger A. (April 12, 2000). "Amtrak launches Chicago run; the service from Janesville is part of new strategy". Wisconsin State Journal. p. E1.
  2. Sanders, Craig (2006). Amtrak in the Heartland. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-34705-3.
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