I recently read that the Hoosier State may expand to Cincy. Would that help save the service?
No.
It would appear that the source implied by the OP was indulging in some wishful thinking. A realistic Chicago-Cincinnati service hasn’t existed since prior to Penn Central.
Paul, I agree. Even before the PC came into being, the service had gone downhill drastically. Forty-four years ago, the traffic was not there.
In the spring of 1969, I had planned a trip which would take me, along with other routes, from Washington to St. Louis on the C&O-B&O, thence to Chicago on the former Wabash, and overnight to Cincinnati. Going into Cincinnati, I thought I should look to make sure that the overnight train from Chicago still ran–and I found that it had been abolished. So, I took the C&O to Detroit and what was left of the Cincinnatian to Cincinnati. It’s amazing what a man who likes to ride trains was willing to put up with
The Cardinal is scheduled 8:32 from Chicago to Cincy. 37 mph. It’s a 4:30 drive. The train is not very useful.
I enjoyed this post hugely, having engineered many such monstrosities myself in the old days.
We sure died hard, didn’t we?
4 hour 30 minute drive - IF - you don’t get caught in traffic on the Interstates in and around the Chicago area.
I’ll take a slower train that allows me to do things other than focus on driving for four hours. If I take a six-hour train ride and work four hours, then the net loss is only two hours. If I drive that same trip in four hours, I’ve still lost four hours.
Spend 8:32 on a train (plus more time to get origination station and from end station to final destination) and you have killed the day. Spend 4:30 driving and you still have 4+ hours for business, fun or visiting people. Not rocket science.