Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The possibility of a high-speed passenger rail line through northern Indiana is part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative.
Designed to be nine-state, 3,000-mile regional system, it would offer business and leisure travelers shorter travel times, additional train frequencies and downtown-to-downtown connections between urban centers and smaller communities.
In Indiana, Midwest Rail includes 545 miles of rail lines, along with feeder bus service, to the state's 6.4 million residents.
Currently daily round trips serving Indiana run from Chicago to Indianapolis to Cincinnati (once a day taking nearly nine hours); Chicago to Indianapolis to Louisville (once a day taking nine hours); from Chicago to Cleveland (three times a day taking six hours); and from Chicago to Gary to Whiting, Mich. (four times a day taking six hours).
A high-speed rail would cut the time between cities in half and triple the number of trips available.
A set of passenger tracks across the northern portion of the state has been planned from Toledo, Ohio, through Elkhart, then to Chicago.
However, the powers that be in Fort Wayne, the state's second largest city, and Warsaw, home of the largest grouping of orthopedic and supporting companies, are lobbying for a route to be established a little further south.
Congestion along U.S. 30 and the long waits at airports would be significantly reduced, and experts feel the passenger load would more than support building of such a route.
The given maximum speed of 110 mph would only be achieved for short distances. Track curvature and travel through urban areas would be reasons trains would travel slower.
An expensive proposition, the approximate cost for corridor development through Indiana averages out to $1 million per mile.
Funding would be provided at an 80 percent federal - 20 percent state ratio.
A ticket pricing strategy has been proposed allowing projected revenues to meet and possibly exceed projected costs.
A round-trip ticket between Indianapolis and Chicago would likely be in the $75 to $95 range.
The entire Midwest Regional Passenger Rail System running east to west could extend from Cleveland, Ohio, to Omaha, Neb., through Chicago. From the south would be links to Louisville, Ky., and Carbondale, Ill., and it could extend to Minneapolis, Minn., and Green Bay, Wis.
Safety at railroad crossings is always a concern and the Midwest Rail may go as far as completely barricading any vehicle access during a train's crossing.
Bridges and over- and under-passes could also be additional safety features.
