 The 1928-built station was demolished after the current transportation center was opened.Under the Federal Railroad Administration's High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program, the state of Illinois received $1.2 billion to improve the Chicago-St. Louis rail corridor so passenger trains will be able to attain regular speeds of .Part of the funding awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) included $7.4 million for the construction of a new station in Alton, which is one of the busiest Amtrak stops in the state.