Washington, DC (TAN): Amtrak and American rail transportation company CSX Corporation have agreed to come up with an upgraded schedule for Amtrak’s passenger train ‘Hoosier State’ which runs between Indianapolis in Indiana state and Illinois’ Chicago.
The Hoosier State’s route in Indiana is owned by CSX Corporation, while the train is operated by Amtrak under a contract with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).
Although Amtrak will announce the new schedule in April, the company has revealed the northbound train will depart Indianapolis later than the present time – 0600 hours, and return to Indianapolis earlier than the current arrival time which is 2339 hours.
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The shorter schedule will save the state over USD 72,000 in annual operating costs, Amtrak said.
“I’m encouraged we are finding ways to further improve this service and continue striving for a reduction on the state’s cost per passenger,” said State Representative Sharon Negele.
The Hoosier State, that passes through Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer and Dyer in Indiana, currently runs on Sundays, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays, days on which Amtrak’s ‘Cardinal’ does not operate. The Cardinal runs on the rest of the days.
Joe McHugh, the Amtrak Vice President for state-supported services, said: “Together, these trains carried more than 60,000 customers last year and provide daily service on an important Amtrak Midwest route, one with great potential that we look forward to developing with our partners at INDOT and CSX.”
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“We’ve brought to this route improved schedules and better reliability, free Wi-Fi and food service. As partners, we can further improve the financial performance, reduce trip times and offer a still better option than driving I-65,” he added.
