Amtrak OKs pets on Illinois trains

Amtrak has made permanent a pilot program that allowed passengers in Illinois to bring small pets on trains, the railroad announced yesterday.

Passengers who make advance reservations and pay a $25 surcharge can bring the pets on trains traveling through Chicago and downstate Illinois.

The initial pilot in the state ran for nearly a year, according to officials from Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"By allowing pets on trains, Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation are making it that much easier for people to experience so many of our great communities throughout the state," said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn.

Legislation pending in Congress would allow pet travel on Amtrak trains throughout the country.