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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, On May 10, 1869, the "golden spike" was driven
3 into the final tie at Promontory Summit, Utah to join the
4 Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Railroads, ceremonially
5 completing the first transcontinental railroad and therefore
6 connecting both coasts of the United States; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Today, Illinois and Chicago are the railroad
8 capitals of the United States and Chicago Union Station is the
9 fourth busiest Amtrak station in the country, with almost 3
10 million passengers annually; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Illinois was one of the first States to enter into
12 a partnership with Amtrak for the operation of a passenger
13 train, the daily Illinois Zephyr, which has served the
14 communities of Quincy, Macomb, Galesburg, Kewanee, Princeton,
15 Mendota, Plano, LaGrange, and Chicago, since November 4, 1971;
16 and
 
17     WHEREAS, Illinois has continued to show its commitment to a
18 viable passenger rail network, providing support so residents
19 and visitors have Amtrak trains to and from metro areas,
20 mid-sized cities, and small towns, helping to reduce congestion
21 on roads and in the skies; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, For many rural Americans, Amtrak represents the
2 only major intercity transportation link to the rest of the
3 country; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Passenger rail provides a more fuel-efficient
5 transportation system, thereby providing cleaner
6 transportation alternatives and energy security; when combined
7 with all modes of transportation, passenger railroads emit only
8 0.2 percent of the travel industry's total greenhouse gases;
9 and
 
10     WHEREAS, Amtrak annually provides intercity passenger rail
11 travel to over 25 million Americans residing in 46 states; and
 
12     WHEREAS, An increasing number of people are using trains
13 for travel purposes beyond commuting to and from work; in the
14 State of Illinois, 3,888,577 people made use of Amtrak trains
15 in 2007; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Rail passenger service in the State of Illinois is
17 a source of pride, a gateway for many into our State, and a
18 tool for economic growth; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21 the State of Illinois endorses National Train Day on May 10,

 

 

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1 2008.