Carbondale Station

The Southern Illinois Multimodal Station (SIMMS) serves as Carbondale's Amtrak station and transportation hub. The current station is a modern facility built in 2003, but the site has been associated with railroading since the Illinois Central Railroad established Carbondale as a major junction in the 1850s — the railroad's arrival is what founded the town.

The station is in the historic centre of Carbondale, adjacent to the Amtrak pavilion and depot that was preserved from the original railroad era. The area around the station has been developed as a public plaza and is a good starting point for exploring the downtown. Two Amtrak trains run daily to Chicago in each direction, making it possible to visit Carbondale as a day trip from the city, though the journey takes about five and a half hours.

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Carbondale is the southern terminus of two Amtrak routes — the Saluki and the Illini — that together provide four daily trains to Chicago. The town's location at the end of the rail line rather than a through-stop has historically given it a slight remoteness that has shaped its character: universities at the end of the line tend to develop a distinct, self-contained culture.

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