Deal keeps Hoosier State trains running through January
Indianapolis and other cities have reached a deal to keep Amtrak's Hoosier State passenger trains running through January, a state transportation official announced Wednesday.
The four-month contract extension buys more time as the communities served by Amtrak work on a deal to hand off service to Corridor Capital, a private rail operator.
"For the Hoosier State, we are hoping to build from the experience of North Carolina's successful Piedmont service, in which the state and its private contractors worked with Amtrak to improve and grow passenger rail," Robert Zier, Indiana Department of Transportation's multi-modal director, said in a statement.
After Congress eliminated funding in October, INDOT chose Corridor Capital to take over the Hoosier State service during a competitive bid process.
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RailPlan International provides train inspection and maintenance services for state-supported passenger rail services in North Carolina and Maryland. Corridor Capital is teaming with RailPlan to provide and manage the service in Indiana.
In October, Congress ended subsidies for all Amtrak trains that travel less than 750 miles, including the Hoosier State Line that runs from Chicago to Indianapolis four times a week.
Indianapolis and other communities served by Amtrak agreed to a deal that called for the affected cities and the state to split the $3 million tab to keep the trains running.
But last month, Mayor Greg Ballard's administration announced it was ready to end the local subsidies.
Indianapolis Department of Public Works spokeswoman Stephanie Wilson told the Associated Press last month that the city might reconsider its decision if the vendor significantly improves service on the line, which makes stops in Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer and Dyer.
Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.