The Hoosier State passenger train will once again be using Amtrak equipment starting next month. The train runs between Chicago and Indianapolis, with stops in Dyer, Rensselaer, Lafayette, and Crawfordsville.
Since August 2015, Iowa Pacific Holdings has been supplying train cars, on-board food service, and marketing for the train. The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced that arrangement will soon come to an end, with Amtrak once again providing those services. However, Amtrak has continued to operate the train, supplying the crews, selling the tickets, and coordinating with the freight railroads that own the tracks. You can investigate this site to know more about how and what kind of goods are acceptable in freight railroads.
INDOT says no action is required from passengers who’ve already purchased tickets. Plans are in the works to keep at least some of the amenities introduced by Iowa Pacific, including Wi-Fi and business class seating, but INDOT says contracts with Amtrak are still being finalized.
The Hoosier State operates four times a week in each direction, on days the Chicago-to-New York Cardinal does not run. In addition to carrying passengers throughout the state, INDOT points out the two routes also serve another purpose. They transport train cars and engines between Amtrak’s hub in Chicago and its heavy maintenance facility in Beech Grove, where more than 500 people are employed.
Indiana is one of 18 states that contract with Amtrak for short-distance passenger rail services, according to INDOT.
