Illinois Central-The Mainline of Mid America

Illinois Central was known as the Mainline of Mid America.  Illinois Central served states along the Mississippi River, the Gulf Coast and the Upper Midwest.
Illinois Central was known for its City of New Orleans passenger train that operated between Chicago and New Orleans.  "The City of New Orleans" entered pop-culture with the well known Steve Goodman song. Amtrak's City of New Orleans train between Chicago and New Orleans takes its name from the famous Illinois Central passenger train.

The City of New Orleans-America's Love For The Train

The Amtrak of today we all ride is rooted in a rich legacy of America's historic railroads.  When we ride today's trains such as Amtrak's City of New Orleans between Chicago and New Orleans, we see the heritage of the Illinois Central in the the right of way we ride along, in the communities we pass through and many of the stations along the way.
Many of us know of The City of New Orleans from the Steve Goodman song made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash and many others.  Through its songs and literature, America truly does have a love for the train.

The Legacy of Railroading-A System That Moves America

Amtrak was born out of our railroad system.  In today's BNSF, Union Pacific, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, we see the legacy of many historic railroads and their named trains.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, City of New Orleans, Capitol Limited, Empire Builder, Silver Star and many others take their name from a legacy of railroading.  Railroads such as the Baltimore and Ohio, Great Northern, Illinois Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Southern Railway and many others built the rails upon which we travel and their freight railroad successors maintain the right of way in order for us to get the goods we need everyday and to make our Amtrak journey possible.  
Here a BNSF locomotive moves intermodal containers at Hobart Yard built by the Santa Fe railroad in Los Angeles.  Railroading truly is a system that moves America.  As our train passes by, we witness the legacy of railroading.