Hoosier State Train to Chicago sees big ridership increases

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Statistics show big increases in ridership on the Hoosier State Train that runs a 200-miles route from Indianapolis to Chicago, but officials say there are no concrete plans to add trains.

Indiana Department of Transportation statistics show a 46 percent increase in ridership this September compared with last September and a 22.3 percent increase this October compared with last October, the (Lafayette) Journal and Courier reported (http://on.jconline.com/2hjvZJG ). The line is run by a public-private partnership of Amtrak, the state of Indiana and Iowa Pacific Holdings.

"One month, our revenue was up 80 percent over last year," said Heather Hice, the rail's sales and marketing manager.

While Iowa Pacific President Ed Ellis said over the summer that the goal is to work toward more expansive service, Hice said nothing is in the pipeline. She said that remains Ellis' vision though.

The Indiana Transportation Department sought guidance from railway consultants last month and they will assess and propose plans for future improvements to the line, agency spokesman Will Wingfield said. Iowa Pacific Holdings has been marketing the line to college students, sports fans, families, large groups and those traveling to conventions, Wingfield said.

Pasi Lautala, a professor of Civil Engineering at Railway Transportation Program at Michigan Technological University, said adding lines and upgrading infrastructure is no small task.

"It's always a chicken and egg problem," he said. "You can't have strong ridership if you don't have frequency of your trains, and if you start adding trains now you're adding costs. That's the constant struggle with public transportation."

___

Information from: Journal and Courier, http://www.jconline.com