Peoria Station

Although events of 2020 were sad (and arguably unnecessary), I decided to do my annual analysis of airline service at the Peoria International Airport.  Normally, I pick June or July for this annual post. With the year nearly concluded, I decided that the week of December 13-19 was best for this analysis. There were even a few surprises, mostly related to the expected surge in holiday traffic. Changes by each carrier serving Peoria in 2020 are detailed below.   ALLEGIANT AIR In mid-January, this Las Vegas-based carrier announced seasonal, twice-weekly nonstops to Nashville, Tennessee would start June 4. Given subsequent events, it is surprising Allegiant Air went ahead and started the new route!  Load factors must have been more than satisfactory. Service was slated to end in November, but it apparently got extended into December.  Recently, the season was extended yet again from December 19 through January 2. I couldn't find schedules for December 19, so I'm un...

  Delta Connection's suspension of service to Peoria is officially "permanent."  WMBD TV-31 posted the news on its website this morning. In May, the airline petitioned the Department of Transportation to temporarily suspend service. This was a requirement after receiving aid through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The suspension took effect July 6, per comment by the adminstrator of the airport's Facebook page. Service had been cut to a single Peoria-Atlanta roundtrip on weekdays. Airline traffic at Peoria Int'l Airport dropped 96 percent in April. The sting of this loss is especially aggravating given the record tally for 2019 (689,416 passengers) and record numbers in both January and February 2020. Although I haven't yet found numbers for this year, it has been reported that traffic in 2020 hasn't been this slow since 1973 (the year an Ozark Air Lines strike suspended all passenger flights for 77 days. Less than 250,000 ...

I usually detail local commercial aviation happenings mid-year. But this year's happenings were too sad. Virus hype and self-inflicted economic destruction have devastated Peoria Int'l Airport's airline service and passenger numbers. And yet, there is some good news.  The Peoria Journal Star reported Monday that Allegiant Air is extending its Peoria-Nashville route beyond November. Flights operating Wednesdays and Saturdays will now also operate from December 19 to January 2. Airport officials hope service will return in the spring or summer.   - David P. Jordan

 I caught two local train movements today. First, was Iowa Interstate train PESI (Manifest, Peoria IL to Silvis IL). it was leaving East Peoria as soon as I drove by Wesley. I followed it through downtown Peoria and shot video as rolle through the San Koty area. IAIS 514-516-715 have 70 cars. All were empties except for two alcohol loads. The other tank car might have been a tallow empty going back to Council Bluffs, Iowa.    Second was Canadian National Railway local L557 (E. Peoria IL to Decatur IL). CN 5633 was parked on the Creve Coeur Team Track when PESI departed. When I returned, it was on the point of a 31-car freight on one of the Long Tracks. It departed a short time later. Video was taken at Hilliards. CN seems to be getting regular scrap metal business, probably loads for Liberty Steel & Wire. One of the empties on today's L557 displayed GSSX markings, which belong to Alter Metal Processing. CN serves Alter scrap facilities at Green Bay and Wapauca, Wiscon...

Thursday morning, I specifically went into East Peoria for some train action. I missed BNSF's M-GALPEI, which probably arrived early (BNSF 1766-541-1409 were sitting on TZPR's Creve Coeur Team Track around 1000). I exited I-74 and found a local, probably an East Peoria to Collier Yard turn, ready to come out of the TP&W's East Peoria Yard. I waited for it at W. Washington Street, shooting this scene just before it diverged left onto the Nickel Plate. TPW 5008 and TPW 3046 had 27 cars. Perhaps an hour after the TP&W went by, I caught Norfolk Southern local D49 arriving  with NS 3521 and NS 6948, and 17 cars. An hour-and-a-half later, D49 left for Good Yard with NS 6948 and NS 3521, and 15 cars. Power for Canadian National Railway local L557 (East Peoria IL to Decatur IL) was resting on the Creve Coeur Team Track when I arrived. By noon, the crew had boarded and coupled onto the outbound train. I recorded its departure at Wesley East then Hilliards. CN 5715 and CN 563...

Two local train movements captured on video this morning.  First, a Tazewell & Peoria Railroad Industry Job rolls by Hilliards (Creve Coeur), Illinois late Monday morning, November 9, 2020. TZPR 1521 has ten cars for East Peoria. The second is an unusual occurrence and location for me. Crossing reconstruction at the Elizabeth Street prevented movement on its regular route via IC Junction in downtown Pekin, Illinois so IMRR 2084 detoured along the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's riverfront line to reach home rails. The Illinois & Midland RR transfer had 39 cars, the last 34 of which were grain mash loads off the Iowa Interstate. Radio chatter indicated the IMRR transfer will run Tuesday as well, probably due to heavy grain mash traffic coming off the Iowa Interstate. This BNGX (Bunge) markings on a few of the cars tells me they're from Southeast Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) in Council Bluffs, Iowa. These cars are consigned to the barge loadout at Crystal Lake. - David P...

  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