Springfield station

Springfield is a brick railroad depot in Springfield, Illinois, the state capital. It is at mile 185 on Amtrak's Illinois and Missouri Route. As of 2007, it is served by five trains daily each way: the daily Texas Eagle, and four daily Lincoln Service schedules.HistoryThe station was originally constructed by the Chicago and Alton Railroad in 1895 and is one of three historic railroad stations still existing in the city, along with the Lincoln Depot built by the Great Western Railroad in 1852 and Springfield Union Station built by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1898. Prior to the start up of Amtrak on May 1, 1971 it was operated by a successor company, the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and was served by a variety of named trains, including the Alton Limited, the Abraham Lincoln, and the Midnight Special.The passenger station is decorated with a small mural. Painted on the wall atop the ticket office, the mural features a route map of the post-1947 Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and a quote from Abraham Lincoln. “May our children and our children’s children to a thousand generations continue to enjoy the benefits conferred upon us by a united country.” The mural and quote celebrate the reunion of the North and South; the state seals surrounding the mural are from the seven states (Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee) served by the GM&O. The mural is the work of Louis Grell of Chicago.