State employees should be traveling by Amtrak more often. The train isn't always convenient. But when meetings are in downtown Chicago or Springfield and meeting times can accommodate the train schedule, state employees should be riding the rails.

A recent report from the Auditor General's Office stopped short of saying the state could save money if more state workers took the train when traveling on official business.

However, thanks to an Amtrak government discount, it costs only $17 each way for state employees to take the train between Chicago and Springfield. That's much less than the reimbursement rate for driving, which would be about $80 each way. The state's reimbursement rate is 44.5 cents per mile.

A survey for the Auditor General's Office found nearly 80 percent of state employees preferred to take a car or plane.

Reliability, schedules, meeting locations, cost and personal preference were among reasons cited by those preferring to skip the train. Personal preference alone is a poor excuse if it's costing taxpayers more money.

Of course, money might also be saved if the state capital of Springfield were treated more like a state capital instead of a satellite office of Chicago. But that's fodder for a different editorial.

Many state offices are in the James R. Thompson Building, which is in downtown Chicago, as is the Amtrak station.

However, meetings sometimes require travel to other parts of the city or suburbs, which lessens the convenience and economy of Amtrak.

There are three trains daily running each direction between Springfield and Chicago. But the first southbound train doesn't arrive in Springfield until 11:35 a.m. - a little late for a meeting, even if it's on time.

Amtrak doesn't provide on-time performance statistics for route segments, such as Chicago to Normal or Springfield. It measures on-time performance at the end of the run.

The train to Chicago that begins at San Antonio, Texas, has an on-time performance of 45.4 percent. For that train, Amtrak considers "on time" to be within 20 minutes of its scheduled arrival.

The two trains that start in Kansas City and St. Louis have on-time performance ratings of 72 percent and 73 percent, respectively. For these shorter routes, "on time" is within 10 minutes of scheduled arrival.

The more Amtrak can do to improve on-time performance and on-train service, the more travelers - including state employees - would be likely to use it.