Did you know that from 1974 to 1981, Amtrak operated the Black Hawk, a line connecting Chicago to Dubuque, Iowa, which included stops in Rockford and Galena?
How Rockford’s Black Hawk Route Worked
For seven amazing years, folks in the area could hop on a train downtown and ride straight into Union Station. Of course, funding eventually led to the line’s demise, and Rockford’s rail link to the Windy City was discontinued.
Trains.com says:
It operated at first with Budd Rail Diesel Cars and later was converted to conventional locomotive-hauled trains. The train provided the only Amtrak service to Elmhurst, Rockford, Freeport, and Galena, Ill. It was discontinued on Sept. 30, 1981.
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