The potential for a strike among freight rail workers has an impact on passenger rail in southern Illinois, too.
While the strike doesn't affect its workforce, Amtrak trains use freight rail tracks to move throughout the Midwest, West, and South.
The service announced it would cancel some of its long-distance routes in an effort to ensure passengers can get to their destinations in the event of a strike.
One of those long-distance routes runs through Carbondale. The City of New Orleans, which provides service from Chicago to New Orleans, and includes stops in Memphis and Carbondale, has been suspended indefinitely while Amtrak monitors the strike potential.
Amtrak leaders say they'll keep passengers updated if they'd booked a trip on the affected routes.
