Illinois has agreed to pay more for in-state Amtrak trains. The deal prevents a shutdown of rail service that could have happened as early as next week.
Illinois is the second-to-last state to reach an agreement with Amtrak.
The deal was necessary because of a federal law that requires states to pay more if they want to keep shorter-distance rail lines.
Some states, like California, will pay millions of extra dollars.
It will likely be much less in Illinois, which already pays for three of four lines -- those that connect Chicago with Carbondale, Quincy, and Wisconsin. While Illinois has also been paying for most of the Chicago-to-St. Louis route, now it'll pick up the entire tab.
Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation confirmed the agreement Thursday.
Across the country, there are 28 of these short-haul train lines, and they account for more than half of Amtrak's passengers. States had until this month to make a deal or the trains would be halted, with workers laid off.
Nineteen states were affected. The lone holdout is Indiana, and its Chicago-to-Indianapolis Hoosier Line. A spokesman for the Indiana Department of Transportation says it's continuing to negotiate with Amtrak and communities along the route, and hopes to reach a conclusion soon.
