He also provided transportation for his employees. Before long he was carrying fare paying passengers. McKinley purchased the Terminal Railroad and expanded his Interurban Service across the state. The Interurbans provided intercity transportation until 1956. Traces of the system still are a part of the Illinois landscape.
Many communities still have the booster stations.
They kept enough electricity running through the over head power lines to keep the trains running. Many of the stations also doubled as depots. Frequently, when road work is being done in Champaign-Urbana, the rails which are still under the streets, are exposed. Since the Interurban ran through many of the communities in the area, McKinley decided to sell electricity from the rail system to the towns. This was the beginning of the Illinois Power Company.