INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials are calling a public-private partnership to keep the Hoosier State Train on the tracks a success – but the cost long-term, and who will pay for it, remains a question.
A new, three-way contract has been in place for a little less than a year to keep the trains on the tracks.
The goal is for people to be able to catch a ride more frequently between Indianapolis and Chicago.
"We're declaring the service was saved, it's improved, and we're ready to invite people onto the train for summer travel season," said INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield.
INDOT has signed a two-year contract with Iowa Pacific and Amtrak to keep the Indianapolis-to-Chicago service moving.
INDOT is paying $255,000 a month to keep the train running.
"There were a lot of hurdles to overcome in getting that far, but customer satisfaction is tremendous, on-time performance is dramatically better, ridership has increased, but the clock is ticking on the state budget allotment, and it will have to compete with a lot of other priorities," said State Sen. Brandt Hershman.
The funding is coming from the tax amnesty program – a one-time revenue stream. It will continue through next June.
Beyond that, Hershman says future funding from the state is uncertain.
INDOT says ridership was up 15 percent last month compared to May 2015.
