Rantoul, IL (RTL)

The area grew with the arrival of the Illinois Central Railroad in 1855; the village was subsequently renamed in honor of Robert Rantoul, then-director of the railroad.

East Grove Ave and North Kentucky Ave.
Rantoul, IL 61866

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $85,492
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 4,253
  • Facility Ownership: Amtrak
  • Parking Lot Ownership: Canadian National Railway Company (CN) Illinois Central (IC) (A subsidiary of CN)
  • Platform Ownership: Canadian National Railway Company (CN) Illinois Central (IC) (A subsidiary of CN)
  • Track Ownership: Canadian National Railway Company (CN) Illinois Central (IC) (A subsidiary of CN)

Derrick James
Regional Contact
governmentaffairschi@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Although the brick station building still stands at Rantoul, Amtrak passengers use a nearby shelter on the platform; the building belongs to the village of Rantoul.

The first settlers in the area of fertile prairie that would be come Rantoul came in 1849 to Mink Grove, a stand of trees just west of what would become the center of town. Settlements were sparse until 1855, when the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) line came through. The town’s name was changed from Mink Grove to Rantoul at that time, in honor of Robert Rantoul, director of the IC.

Chanute Air Force Base, part of the Air Training Command, was opened in 1917 as Rantoul Air Field due to its proximity to the IC and the War Department’s ground school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Renamed Chanute after World War II, the base dominated the local economy for decades. The air base closed in 1993, but was partially reoccupied by the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum and the Rantoul National Aviation Center.

The village of Rantoul is still small and largely rural; however major employers in the area include C.I. Telecom, Bell Racing; Combed Laboratories, Microfilm Services and AT&T. Its proximity to Champaign also means the village serves for some as a suburb of Urbana/Champaign, about 15 minutes to the south.

A large facility for showing horses and other expositions is located nearby at Grayville. Local ranchers also raise reindeer, originally shipped by air from Alaska: the reindeer did indeed fly.

The Illini and Saluki are financed primarily through funds made available by the Illinois State Department of Transportation.

Platform with Shelter

Features

  • ATM not available
  • No elevator
  • No payphones
  • No Quik-Trak kiosks
  • No Restrooms
  • Unaccompanied child travel not allowed
  • No vending machines
  • No WiFi
  • Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure
  • Indicates an accessible service.

Baggage

  • Amtrak Express shipping not available
  • No checked baggage service
  • No checked baggage storage
  • Bike boxes not available
  • No baggage carts
  • Ski bags not available
  • No bag storage
  • Shipping boxes not available
  • No baggage assistance

Parking

  • Same-day parking is available; fees may apply
  • Overnight parking is available; fees may apply
  • Indicates an accessible service.

Accessibility

  • No payphones
  • Accessible platform
  • Accessible restrooms
  • No accessible ticket office
  • No accessible waiting room
  • Accessible water fountain
  • Same-day, accessible parking is available; fees may apply
  • Overnight, accessible parking is available; fees may apply
  • No high platform
  • No wheelchair
  • Wheelchair lift available

Hours

Station Waiting Room Hours
No station waiting room hours at this location.
Ticket Office Hours
No ticket office at this location.
Passenger Assistance Hours
No passenger assistance service at this location.
Checked Baggage Service
No checked baggage at this location.
Parking Hours
No parking at this location.
Quik-Track Kiosk Hours
No Quik-Trak kiosks at this location.
Lounge Hours
No lounge at this location.
Amtrak Express Hours
No Amtrak Express at this location.