Meadowlark (train)

The Meadowlark was a passenger train operated by the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (C&EI). It provided service primarily between Chicago, Illinois, and various destinations in southern Illinois, including Evansville, Indiana.

The Meadowlark offered a comfortable and relatively fast travel option for passengers, featuring amenities such as reclining seats and dining services. It was a significant transportation link for communities along its route, facilitating both business and personal travel.

The train's name, Meadowlark, likely alluded to the meadowlark bird, a common sight in the Midwestern landscapes through which the train traveled. This was a common practice among railroads, aiming to evoke a sense of regional identity and pleasant travel.

While the Meadowlark enjoyed a period of popularity, like many passenger trains of its era, it eventually succumbed to declining ridership due to the rise of automobile travel and air transportation. The service was discontinued, although the precise date is difficult to ascertain without further research. Documentation regarding the train's specific operational timeline is scarce. The Meadowlark's legacy remains as a symbol of a bygone era of rail travel in the American Midwest.