Last Hoosier State Train Service to Run June 30

Amtrak has contracts with Indiana and 17 other states for short-distance

The last Hoosier State passenger train service, connecting Indianapolis and Chicago, via Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer and Dyer, will run June 30. The Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance says it will be the first time in several years that Indy will lack a daily rail connection to Chicago.

The suspension of the train service was first announced in April, disclosing that the state budget would no longer include funding for the Hoosier State train service. 

Amtrak lists Cardinal Trains and Amtrak Thruway Buses as potential alternatives to people seeking transportation, and independent companies have also increased services to fill the gap.

New York-based company Ourbus, an app that connects riders with transportation through “crowdsourcing,” has introduced a route with stops in Chicago, Lafayette, and Indianapolis in response to the suspension.

The IPRA says it will continue to camping for a train route connecting Indianapolis and Chicago. The organization released the following statement in an email:

“IPRA, in partnership with other stake holders, will continue to explore alternatives to developing the Hoosier State corridor. Possibilities include some form of Federal investment, operation by private sector partners, and operation by a regional authority of counties served by the corridor. The model for this last would be the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, operating rail passenger service in NW Indiana, connecting South Bend and Chicago.”