Indiana Service (post-Hoosier State)

So, post-Hoosier and Iowa Pacific, Indiana is looking at options: Fox59.com

Experts weigh in on idea of expanded passenger rail service in Indiana

Coxhead said Indiana has only requested federal funding to boost service between Indianapolis and Chicago — leaving individual cities to make their own requests.

”The Fort Wayne Regional Planning Organization has requested funding for a Chicago-Fort Wayne-Lima-Ohio, Columbus-Ohio corridor,” Coxhead said. ”The city of Louisville has requested Corridor ID funding for Louisville to Indianapolis.”

INDOT said it’s keeping its focus on the Indianapolis-Chicago corridor due to issues with staffing and resources. The department’s strategic communications director said INDOT applied for a $500,000 federal grant to help create a strategic plan for that corridor.
...
Garrett said the department will know by the end of this year if INDOT will receive the grant. In addition to expansion efforts, Coxhead said INDOT and Amtrak are working to solve an ongoing congestion (or bottleneck) issue for passenger trains heading westbound and eastbound through Northern Indiana.
...

Memo; to consultants:

https://youtu.be/JSCVOQv4j6E?si=bNJNsr3hQJWkelHm

This is interesting in light if Senators Braun and Young signing onto the Chicago Hub letter last week. Indiana may be getting serious about strong service.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26, 2023 6:34 am Memo; to consultants:

https://youtu.be/JSCVOQv4j6E?si=bNJNsr3hQJWkelHm

OT
Wow, I knew it was a Sir Maca tune, but I didn't know he did a full on demo of it.
I've only heard the Badfinger version.

Mr. Scratchy, regarding your immediate, here is a comment taken from the song's YouTube posting of the Badfinger version:

It totally sounds like a Paul McCartney composition. His style is very recognizable, and that's a very good thing. Paul McCartney is arguably one of the greatest songwriters who have ever lived.

But more to the point of the topic, this funding is about enough to have the consultants feeding at the trough, and not too much more.

If Indiana was a state people were flocking to in the same manner that Californians and New Yorkers have been moving to places like TX, TN, and FL I could perhaps see a “Brightline-ing” of the Chicago-Indianapolis-Louisville corridor. Buy real estate along the line in most populated areas, lease the properties to developers for housing, eateries, etc., and build train stations in those spots. People used to paying $$$ in rent, etc. would go for it just for lower cost of living (I myself live in a high tax/high cost of living state so I can attest to that sentimentality) Call it the “Hoosierline” or “MononLine”

Is there really any viable option other than Amtrak to operate a CHI-IN-KY “corridor” service?

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Memo; to consultants:

https://youtu.be/JSCVOQv4j6E?si=bNJNsr3hQJWkelHm

Maybe Saw the railway master / and I looked him in the eye is more appropriate?

(Hot off topic take, but I’ve felt for a long time that this is the superior sounding version. Badfinger’s recording would have sounded better with Pete Ham singing the lead vocal as he did on “No Matter What”, “Baby Blue”, and “Day After Day”. Great band with a very sad story.)

NH2060 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 27, 2023 8:59 am

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Memo; to consultants:

https://youtu.be/JSCVOQv4j6E?si=bNJNsr3hQJWkelHm

Maybe Saw the railway master / and I looked him in the eye is more appropriate?

(Hot off topic take, but I’ve felt for a long time that this is the superior sounding version. Badfinger’s recording would have sounded better with Pete Ham singing the lead vocal as he did on “No Matter What”, “Baby Blue”, and “Day After Day”. Great band with a very sad story.)

Way OT.
I prefer badfingers version, with the vocal harmonies building up. And True, it's a really sad story.
Since they pretty much helped come up with power pop, along with Big Star. And at least alex chilton's got a song named after him.

Not OT, Right now, I don't see a brightline like company moving in for that corridor.
Now, give it 10-20 years, when brightlines florida storm damaged holdings aren't covered by insurance,
That could change.

NH2060 wrote:If Indiana was a state people were flocking to in the same manner that Californians and New Yorkers have been moving to places like TX, TN, and FL I could perhaps see a “Brightline-ing” of the Chicago-Indianapolis-Louisville corridor.

Lots of people fed up with the Peoples Republic of Illinois have indeed moved to Northeast Indiana. Taxes are lower, and the commute for those who need to be in the City is reasonable either via the South Shore or driving west to the Metra Electric.

Our family business near OHare had two people driving daily from Merrillville and Valparaiso. The gas was cheaper than real estate and income taxes in Madiganistan...

With hybrid work now a permanent thing for many white collar jobs, I know people who have moved to Indianapolis and do a trip north twice a month.

Brightline level service though is not going to happen. The corporate and leisure ties between Chicago and Indy just aren't deep enough for day trippers or tourusts.

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In order for some HSR CHI-IND to have a chance of public acceptance, there would need be a rail route laid down following I-65.

There never has been.

True, the Big Four (CCC&StL) did, with the premier train James Whitcomb Riley, Chi (IC Station !2th & Michigan for those tuning in late around here) - Indy in 3hr 30min (NY Form 1001 Jun '54). However there was only a stop at Lafayette, Train Dispatchers on both the IC and NYC "gave him the railroad"., and if a "bit down"; 79mph?, "uh the speedometer is broken". The route Chi-Kankakee on the IC, then X-ing into IN at Fowler (all chopped up nowadays), was not exactly straight, but more so than the present Cardinal routing over the Monon and NYC.

So let's start thinking about building from scratch a whole new road paralleling I-65 - and in a state where the "lukewarm" interest in passenger rail only extends to where the South Shore presently goes.

The CN to Fowler would be fastest with a couple billion in funding.....

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