For the first time in the modern era, an Amtrak test train hit a record speed when it reached 111 miles-per-hour in Illinois.The burst happened along tracks connecting Chicago and St. Louis. The train went 1 mile-per-hour over the 110 mile-per-hour goal set for the 15 mile stretch between Dwight and Pontiac, Illinois which are about 80 to 100 miles southwest of Chicago. Amtrak officials say they expect to begin passenger service at 110 miles-per-hour between Dwight and Pontiac before Thanksgiving. The train normally travels at a top speed of 79-miles-per-hour.
