INDIANAPOLIS — Travelers and transit officials say more frequent and convenient passenger rail service options are long overdue for the Circle City.
The Indiana Department of Transportation received a federal grant in 2023 to explore an expansion of passenger rail service in Indianapolis.
Since then, potential plans have been in the works to expand rail service to and from Indianapolis, including restoring daily service from Indianapolis to Chicago on the existing Amtrak Cardinal route.
Marc Magliari, a spokesperson for Amtrak, said Indianapolis is less served by rail than most other state capitals and that more convenient travel times would bring more riders.
"When you only operate three times a week in the late night and early morning, you are much less likely to use us because we are not as much of a utility for you, so what we have been looking at is daily service and multiple daily trains," Magliari said.
Travelers say the limited options create real challenges, pointing to folks who don't have access to cars.
"At least make it easier," a traveler told WRTV.
The Kentucky Indiana Regional Planning and Development Agency also received a similar federal grant in late 2023 to study adding rail service between Louisville and Indianapolis.
For traveler Cyle Ayers, expanded service would mean more time with his family.
"I have kids that live in Kentucky, and I want to see them more than once a month. Basically, what it looks like for me is this trip today, it's a 12-hour drive, and it's 11 hours in wait time," Ayers said.
Some travelers say the broader culture around transportation in the U.S. has kept rail from becoming a priority.
"I think the U.S. is pretty much made for cars and people that don't use the train that much," a traveler said.
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