University of Illinois System employees must seek the lowest available fare that meets the needs of the system and the convenience of the traveler when making commercial bus or rail travel arrangements.
The preferred method of travel between Chicago and Urbana-Champaign is UI Ride. The preferred method of travel between Chicago and Springfield is Amtrak or Greyhound.
The intercampus shuttle service, UI Ride, is the preferred mode of transportation. Meetings should be planned around the UI Ride schedule whenever possible.
As state employees, system employees receive discounted rates on Amtrak tickets when traveling on business between Springfield and Chicago. The State of Illinois one-way Coach rate of $24.00 (either direction) is available Monday through Friday. Reservations for the discounted rate cannot be made online.
Contact Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or TDD/TTY (1-800-523-6590) and speak with a reservation agent. Be sure to identify travelers as State of Illinois employees and request the State of Illinois rate. Government issued identification (i-Card) is required.
Meetings should correspond with Amtrak’s schedule:
For Chicago: start after 10:30am; end by 6:00pm
For Springfield: start after 10:45am; end by 6:30pm
The preferred method of payment for UI Ride is a CFOP through the reservation application for business travel and a personal credit card for non-business travel.
The preferred method for purchasing commercial bus or rail tickets is a TCard. TCard holders may purchase commercial bus and rail tickets for employees and non-employees for qualified business travel within their unit. The traveler is responsible for retaining ticket stubs or itineraries required to process an expense report.
If the person for whom the ticket was issued does not use the ticket for official University of Illinois business travel, the ticket must be returned to the issuing agency (or other provider) for a credit, minus any cancellation or transfer fees. The TCard holder is not allowed to receive a refund in cash or voucher.
If an employee cannot pay with a preferred method, they may purchase approved system travel tickets using their own personal funds. If this method is used, employees are reimbursed for the ticket purchase on an expense report submitted at the completion of the trip. Appropriate receipts and approvals are required.
The employee is responsible for ensuring that any bus or rail tickets purchased in advance with system funds, via a TCard or other means, are utilized for appropriate system business travel, per University of Illinois, State, and Federal regulations.