Peoria Station

This train had a reported 142 cars before it set out 57 at Grainland Farmers's Cruger elevator. The three units and consist starting with the covered hopper just ahead of the second set of gondolas is what I tried to get departing TZPR's East Peoria Yard late-Sunday, but darkness fell and I had plans for the evening.  CAPTION: The Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway ran an eastbound "M-Train" Monday afternoon, January 5, 2026. After setting out grain empties at Cruger, the now shorter train rolled through Eureka, Illinois. IORY 3472, RCPE 3481 and IORY 5007 have 85 cars.   - David P. Jordan

This afternoon, I went to check Tremont Grain Barge & Rail in Pekin as 16 loads are in place for unloading, or to be pulled by TZPR. I decided to check the TZPR along Rt. 29 and make my way toward East Peoria where I noticed an IMRR interchange delivery on the Nickel Plate. The train's power was already on the outbound when I arrived.    Lots of activity on TZPR today, including IMRR 43 working Kickapoo Yard and TP&W working a Collier Turn with three motors (IORY 3472 was leader). The TP&W crew obviously had delivered corn loads to BioUrja's South Yard because that distillery's critter came out to grabbed them, asking TZPR permission to cross its line at Bridge Junction going down there and returning to the plant.    While waiting for the IMRR train to depart, a TZPR local from Pekin came up the line.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local from Pekin rolls by Hilliards and Wesley mid-afternoon Sunday, January 4, 2026. TZPR 1352 has f...

Based on activities just a week ago, December 26, I was hoping that Union Pacific's MPECL would leave at least a few hours late, but when I arrived the south side of Peoria around 3:30 Friday afternoon to find ,MPECL gone and a Union Pacific crew shoving an empty coal train (received from Decatur via Canadian National) off the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad and onto the Low Line toward Peoria Junction.   Apparently, as of December 2025, most Decatur coal routed to CN at Peoria (actually TZPR's Pekin double track) now originates at the Gateway Mine near Coulterville, Illinois instead Wyoming's Powder River Basin. So trains must "see-saw" on the Nickel Plate in East Peoria to be positioned in the right direction. If UP and CN hadn't removed the direct connection at South Pekin in March 2002...   Anyway, once the UP coal empties cleared onto home rails at Darst Street, the Keokuk Junction Railway local's conductor lined the switch and the train moved acro...

I checked the Creve Coeur Team Track and turned around passed the double track crossing. I then noticed the yellow signal indication and figured the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Pekin Local ("Industry ?") was lined up. Sure enough, it showed up after a short time.    The usual gluten meal/feed/DDGS/steepwater/alcohol traffic is represented here.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local from Pekin, Illinois rolls by Wesley East shortly before entering the East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Tuesday, December 30, 2025. TZPR 1521 has 25 cars.   - David P. Jordan

American Airlines' announcement today that it is adding 100 new daily departures from Chicago-O'Hare by spring prompted a look at schedules. Sure enough, Bloomington-Normal's Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA) gets its third daily roundtrip (lost when larger regional jets were deployed in April 2025) restored on February 12, 2026. Presently, two roundtrips are operated by 65-seat Embraer 170s. A schedule shuffle involving an earlier morning departure and a new late-morning turnaround, the latter on 76-seat Embraer 175 equipment. The additional frequency will soon increase CIRA's daily departures to between eight and ten, depending on the day of the week. American Eagle will have three to Chicago-O'Hare and two to Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Delta Connection will have three to Atlanta. Allegiant Air will be offering nonstops to Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Orlando-Sanford, Phoenix-Mesa, St. Petersburg/Clearwater, mostly twice-weekly. - David P. Jordan

WMBD-TV Channel 31 ran this story the day after Christmas , with airport director Gene Olson suggesting trends would give Peoria International Airport a record passenger tally in December.  This December might set a record for the busiest month since the COVID-19 pandemic decimated travel. Normally, Peoria sees its highest travel months over the summer, Olson said. So with passenger volume running 20 percent higher this year than in 2024, December numbers might well exceed 80,000 and beat July 2025's all time record of 80,836 passengers? If that happens, the year-end tally will be at least 822,561!  - David P. Jordan