I wonder who that is behind the name? I thought you had to own the rights to the name to do that and I am pretty sure the rights still belong to NS based that they painted it on one of their heritage locomotives.
They are impressed by the Hoosier State operation by Iowa Pacific.
Thats my take on it too and this started in Indiana, already spread to Texas (borrowed the Indiana approach on freeway construction) and Oklohoma now. Curious how far it will spread via the states before it pops up at the Federal Level.
It’s mandated by the latest 5 year transportation funding bill, FASTLANE, that 3 Long Distance routes are to be put out to bid…so that means it’s guaranteed to be at the Federal level, since all Long Distance trains would be considered a Federal operation.
Maybe the Reading should bid on it. Imagine: the Heartland Crusader.
I could be wrong on this and probably am, but I think “Erie-Lackawanna” is a holding company, the corporate successor to the “real” E-L, but has no involvement with railroading, at least at this time.