Peoria Station

  Delta Connection is resuming nonstops to the Motor City from CIRA. Officials made the annnouncement September 22 that daily service resumes October 11, 2020.  Flights from Detroit Metropolitan Airport will arrive at 4:17pm and leave at 5:10pm. Earlier service had been dropped in July 2016.  Rivian Automotive was influential in the deal. According to this WGLT article , the Detroit, Michigan-based automaker plans to use between 50 and 150 seats per week.  Carl Olson, airport director, said a deal to resume Detroit service had been made back in February but startup was delayed by COVID-19.  - David P. Jordan

  Norfolk Southern's Sunday extra local, probably D47, arrives and departs East Peoria, Illinois Sunday mid-afternoon and early evening, respectively, September 13, 2020. NS 5315 and NS 6964 led 28 cars into the Tazewell & Peoria RR's East Peoria Yard. Later, NS 6964 and NS 5315 are shown at Farmdale with 45 cars. Norfolk Southern Railway's weekday E. Peoria (IL) turn, D49, rolls under TP&W's famed Farmdale Trestle on its return to leg to Good Yard in Normal, Illinois at mid-day Thursday, September 17, 2020. NS 6964 and NS 6948 have 38 cars. Norfolk Southern Railway local D49 rolls through Deer Creek, Illinois at mid-day Friday, September 18, 2020 on its return trip to Good Yard in Normal. NS 7032 and NS 6976 have 34 cars. Note the empty autorack tucked behind three Komatsu truck chassis loads.  - David P. Jordan

  Peoria International Airport is getting $1.1 million for runway improvements and airline apron expansion. WEEK TV-25's website posted this story on its website on Wednesday .  The funds will be used to strengthen 5,650 feet of Runway 4-22, which is 8,004 feet in length. The improvement is needed for continued use by heavier aircraft. Subsurface conditions are causing deterioration of this runway, and part of the funds will be used to investigate this issue. Funds will also be used to design a much-needed airline apron expansion. Before coronavirus lockdowns, which crashed local passenger traffic starting in March, some carriers were using bigger planes, which limited parking space at the terminal. The apron expansion will increase the apron's size to allow for more and larger planes in the 76- to 90-seat class.  - David P. Jordan