Peoria Station

The absence of Incobrasa covered hoppers is odd. These days, orange power and green rolling stock seem inseparable.  CAPTION: An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway "M-Train" (sometimes called M-EPEF) crawls as it approaches Cruger, Illinois early-afternoon Saturday, January 31, 2026. Later, the train crawls through Secor (after a fast run through Eureka) and then pulls through El Paso. IORY 3492, TPW 5008 and HESR 2107 have 58 cars.   - David P. Jordan

I finally caught a TZPR local with OZIX twin-bay covered hoppers. All eleven were empty, so they must be spotted at the new Ozinga Cement Co facility here for loading, at least with these.  CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local rolls toward Iowa Junction and Kickapoo Yard late-afternoon Friday, January 30, 2026. TPW 2056 has 13 cars, all but two of which are empty OZIX twin-bay covered hoppers for Ozinga Cement Co's new transfer facility on BioUrja Renewables LLC's Riverside Track.   - David P. Jordan

United Express announced today that it will be linking both Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal with four daily roundtrips to Chicago-O'Hare starting April 30 and May 7, respectively. Champaign-Urbana media has been quick to post online stories. Look for an update later today. UPDATE: Central Illinois Regional Airport last had United Express service to Chicago-O'Hare in 2008. FM Radio 89.1 WGLT has a story here . Champaign-Urbana's local CBS affiliate, WCIA TV-3 has a story here . The expansion is part of an escalating war between American Airlines and United Airlines at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport over gates and dominance. Whether this big increase in capacity for Central Illinois air travelers is sustainable is a big question. Fares will come down and traffic will be stimulated at both airports, but how long it lasts depends on whether these services are profitable, or at least losses are minimal but the flights provide profitable feed to long haul domes...

Despite this morning's cold, I headed into town and then north because I knew Iowa Interstate was running an SIPE. I encountered it just north of Mossville. Short train but good variety. Although strangely there was no long block of "mash" loads (and/or gluten feed pellets, which should be moving this time of year), scattered ADM/leaser covered hoppers probably contain corn germ and/or other corn processing by-products. The lone IAIS covered hopper could contain "organic grain" (non-GMO) for an NS destination. Two gondolas on the rear are iron oxide empties for TP&W. All five scenes shot from the comfort of my car...   CAPTION: Iowa Interstate Railroad Ltd. manifest SIPE (Silvis IL to Peoria IL) rolls by Mossville, San Koty and Peoria Heights, Illinois on home rails, and at Peoria twice on the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's Uptown Sub midday Saturday, January 24, 2026. IAIS 509 has 26 cars.   When I parked at the old NE Adams Street McDonald's...

As expected, Peoria International Airport set a new annual passenger record in 2025. At a news conference inside the passenger terminal this morning , Metropolitan Airport Authority director Gene Olson announced that 812,376 passenger were handled during the past year. The previous record was 689,416 passengers, which was set in 2019. The airport nearly broke its 2019 record with 687,601 passengers in 2024.  The actual record was broken the first eleven months of 2025 when 741,724 passengers had used the airport. This was the first time PIA had exceeded 700,000 passengers in a year. With December traffic at 70,672 - the highest ever for that month - the 800,000 mark was exceeded as well.  PIA benefitted from stable or declining fuel prices, airlines engaging in fierce competition for market share and sufficient pilots to handle the resulting growth. Allegiant Air's low-fare nonstops as well as increased capacity by American Eagle and United Express has attracted travelers not ...

Looks like the BUSW (Bureau Switcher) pulled PESI this afternoon. The plan for the CN grain empties is to have SIPE come down tonight with a relief crew to take PENT early tomorrow morning.  CAPTION: Iowa Interstate manifest PESI (Peoria IL to Silvis IL) rolls out of Peoria, Illinois late-afternoon Tuesday, January 20, 2026. IAIS 712 has 39 cars.   - David P. Jordan