By Cynthia Grau

Amtrak and Illinois Transportation officials announced the completion of the new passenger rail station in downtown Dwight yesterday.

Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn said not only is this a big deal for Dwight, but also for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“I think this station is such a nice amenity, not just for the passengers that are using it, but it’s an attraction to help expand their downtown this direction and to give them opportunities for economic growth. That’s what transportation is supposed to do – provide those economic opportunities, and this station, the way it looks, where it’s situated, the ability for when the people get off the train and say, ‘wow, this is a nice community, let’s see what’s here.’ I think this is the kind of thing we want to do across the state, but it really works well here in Dwight,” Blankenhorn said.

The new station opens today and is located at 401 S. Columbia Street in Dwight. Head over to our Facebook page to see a photo album of the new station.