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Decision expected this fall on Louisville & Indiana track upgrades
STB (and ICC in olden days) is charged with oversight of the business of interstate transportation. When railroad A wants to invest in railroad B it has to be examined to ensure there is no “harm” to the shippers involved. Yes, it’s clear to most of us this benefits everyone but the rules are the rules.
What isn’t clear to me is why a project like this would require STB approval to proceed??
I suppose this will syphon trains from the Chicago-Evansville-Nashville line as well from the Cincy-Louisville line along I-71. The Chicago-Nashville line is congested and the CIncy-Louisville line is slow due to topography mostly.
FYI, gentlemen the STB is charged with implementing National Environmental Protection Act (aka NEPA) rules and regulations when it comes to new rail line construction and significant rail improvement projects like this one. When completed this project will allow for both faster speeds and substantially more trains than currently operated along the line. Thus, there will be a fairly substantial impact on the local environment along the line. While many TRAINS readers appreciate the operation of more trains along specific stretches of main line track not all of our fellow citizens feel the same way.
If the traffic is already there, with more coming, why can’t the railroad put some of their money into upgrades, instead of asking us for it?
Fords plants in Louisville send endless streams of autoracks. 2 miles of train on the south side of Indy and Greenwood at 10 MPH tends to make people upset. This is a smart move to do as there are a good amount of online customers
Really? I’m a train watcher for economic study and I like the sound of the diesel! What I still don’t get… A couple of months ago Trains reported that China built a rail line a HECK of a lot longer from scratch in a couple years…This is taking 7 years at a million a mile?!
Thats great news if we had an Amtrak interested in expanding The national system. Already, it appears the Louisville - Indianapolis Kentucky Cardinal has been forgotten as well a renewed Chicago Florida route.
This train failed due to slow track speed. But properly marketed and with some longevity could have been a great overnight route.
This is a route with Amtrak potential, but only if the track and signaling are farther upgraded to allow 79 mph or greater and sufficient sidings are in place to allow Amtrak to get past the 15 or so daily freights without significant delay. At this point I don’t see Amtrak or the state of Indiana interested.
Is this the old Monon line?
Is this the old Monon line?
Would you want that money to go to the highways thus putting more trucks on the highways, Philip V Nichols?
This is the old Pennsy line. About 15 years ago Amtrak ran the Kentucky Cardinal, a 1 coach, 1 sleeper + either roadrailer or express car train that connected with the Cardinal and Chicago-Indy train and ran to Clarksville, IN and later across the Ohio river to Louisville. It left Indy at 1:10 AM and got to Louisville at 7:20 AM. Going back it left Louisville at 9:50 PM arriving at Indy at 1:30 AM. I rode it twice a year from Chicago, spent a day working in the Louisville area and took the train home that night. It was discontinued when Amtrak got out of the express business, but was a great convenience to me while it lasted. The Chicago - Florida train also used this route in the 1970s. For a time it hauled the origional Louisville Autotrainfrom the south side of Louisville to Florida.
Too bad this line wasn’t upgraded sometime prior to the Kentucky Cardinal’s existence.
There was even talk of extending the train to Nashville. Had the tracks on this line been good enough, the train might’ve been successful enough for this too have happened
I have fond remembrances of riding between Louisville, Nashville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Waycross, Jacksonville and Tampa. Those were the days! It’s an era long gone but not forgotten. Those who complain on this forum about the possibility of having less coverage than they presently do, or possibly losing their trains altogether, make me laugh. Chicago to Florida through the heart of Dixie may be the country’s most under-served route.
The vast majority of that state has suffered from the neglect under Penn Central and then later the myopic vision of the state who seems to loathe rail.
I agree with Jim Cox. This route is one of the most under-served. I still feel that, with good service, this could be a great route. Mia-Chi with possibly a Detroit connection.
There hasn’t been any Fla-Mid West service, since the discontinuance of the Floridian.To go from Florida to Chicago, it takes three days with an overnight at Washington.
This is NOT the old Monon line.
I think CSX is paying the price now for shutting it down.
I agree with Mr. Hill; CSX must have reduced Indy trackage too much, and now they are looking for additional capacity. Although scenic and well built, the Monon route Into and South of Bloomington is probably expensive to maintain. My question is will there be any hope of a revival of the old B&O St. Louis main through Vincinnes, IN and into IL? Or will they use the Pennsy line they obtained from Conrail through Effingham, Il for Southeast to St. Louis traffic?