Amtrak Platform

I, too, took the Chicago trip. I have never been on a train like this before, but was an enjoyable experience. It was the day of the after-​Christmas blizzard, but our plans were not at risk for the train is reliable at least up to 4 feet of snow! We got there early in the morning, just as the blizzard was coming in. Parking is a bit confusing — what I assume used to be the train station is now businesses, so you park at the back of the lot (it is labeled). Now, rather disappointingly but still somehow charming, there is just a little windowed room, much like a bus stop. It was cold and snowy out, but the little platform was well-​heated and we were warm while we waiting for the train.

Amtrak is such an awesome option for getting to Chicago from Crawfordsville, and not that many people know about it. So I am really writing this review as a service to the community! Haha.
Here’s how it works: A train leaves every morning at 6:58am and gets you to Chicago at around 10:05am (more or less, it can be delayed in Northern Indiana fairly often but usually not more than ½ hour). A train leaves Chicago every night at 5:45pm and arrives in Crawfordsville at 10:30pm. It deposits you at Union Station, right in the middle of downtown Chicago. So you can get to Chicago with no security checks, no traffic, and no expensive cab fares. The trains are clean and convenient, the conductors are friendly and helpful. There are plug-​ins at every seat and no restrictions on using any kind of electronic devices or phones whenever you want. 3 or 4 days a week you will be on the Cardinal line, so there is a dining car on board! I kind of think eating a full meal on a train is really cool.
And the best part is that in advance, tickets are only about $ 20 each way! Oh and there’s free parking at the Amtrak lot in Crawfordsville as well. It’s not so much a station, more of a platform, but there is a pay phone there and it is nicely landscaped. I highly recommend taking the train to Chicago instead of driving or flying. I think you will be happy you did!