VALPAIRAISO, Ind. — Proposed passenger service between Chicago, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Columbus, Ohio, could carry from 387,000 to 765,000 passengers annually, but could cost as much as $1.2 billion to start, according to analysis by an engineering firm, the Northwest Indiana Times reports.
HNTB, which performed the analysis, reported the range of ridership and projected cost ($898 million to $1.2 billion) depends choices regarding the train’s top speed (79 mph or 110 mph) and the number of daily round trips.
“This service is very competitive with auto travel on this corridor,” HNTB Associate Vice President Caron Kloser said during a recent presentation in Valparaiso, which would be served by the proposed route.
Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association board member Dorothy Hagan said the rail service “could take a lot of pressure off this whole corridor.” The organization is working to build support for the train between Gary, Ind., and Lima, Ohio, while the Ohio Regional Planning Commission is spearheading work between Lima and Columbus.
The association’s next step will be an economic analysis to convince state legislators to support the project, which Kloser said could be in operation as early as 2026.
