The Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association has announced a Rally for Rail, to be held at the Baker Street Train Station on Sunday October 27, 2024.
News release from the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association:
Rally for Rail scheduled for October 27, 2024, at 2 pm
Fort Wayne, Indiana (October 21, 2024) – The Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA) announced a Rally for Rail, to be held at the Baker Street Train Station, 221 West Baker Street, Fort Wayne, on Sunday October 27 from 2 to 4 PM. Many of Northeast Indiana’s elected officials and candidates in the November election have been invited to attend. Confirmed speakers include Mayor Sharon Tucker (by video), Councilman Geoff Paddock, Fred Lanahan, President of the Board of Directors of NIPRA, and Jack Daniel, also board member of NIPRA. Other speakers may be added to the lineup, leading up to the event. There will also be a panel discussion with Fort Wayne community and business leaders who support the rail plan. They will talk about its importance to the area economy. There will also be entertainment, and refreshments. Parking and admission is free.
Image courtesy of NIPRA.
“The purpose of the rally is to inform the general public about the progress being made to restore passenger rail service to this area of the state,” said Geoff Paddock, a founding member of NIPRA. Also of great importance is the connection of Fort Wayne to Chicago and Pittsburgh on the proposed Midwest Connect Plan Rail Network. “It is essential for the general public to come out and show support for this rail proposal. The City of Fort Wayne recently received a $500,000 grant to conduct a Service Development Plan, which is required by the Federal Railroad Administration,” Paddock said. “Significant steps are being taken,” he said.
“This grant funding is currently being used to determine exactly what it will take to restore a passenger rail line from Chicago through Warsaw and Fort Wayne, and east to Lima, Columbus, and Pittsburgh, with many other proposed other stops along the way. Paul Spoelhof, city planner, is working specifically with the FRA and professional rail planners on the lengthy and intricate feasibility study that is required. The time frame for completion is sometime into 2025,” said Fred Lanahan, President of the Board of Director of N IPRA. “Mayor Sharon Tucker is a strong supporter of this effort,” he said.
NIPRA is a not for profit organization with no paid staff members. It has been working with the Indiana Department of Transportation, professional transportation planners in Ohio, engineering consultants, and Mayors and Legislators in Indiana to gather support. If this route, entitled the Midwest Connect, is chosen by the FRA as a priority route, it could receive up to 80% of funding from the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Acts of 2021, also know as the Bi Partisan Infrastructure Bill. This legislation was championed by President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Many Republicans and Democratic members of Congress supported the bill, which would put as much as $60 billion into passenger and freight rail improvements over the next ten years, all across the nation.
“Should we receive the 80% designation, we will be working with State Legislators and our next Indiana Governor to fund the remaining 20% that is required. Both Republican and Democratic Legislators in our state have reacted favorably to this plan, and we have briefed the staffs of both major candidates for Governor. We have met with the chairman of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee, and we hope to work on a portion of the state match in the next session of the General Assembly, which will convene is January,” Paddock said.
“It is important for citizens to come out and support the Midwest Connect Plan at the Rally for Rail. We will have entertainment and activities for children and adults. This is a great opportunity to visit this beautiful train station which has been renovated, hear an update on the rail plan, and also hear of its economic development importance to our city and state,” said NIPRA board member Jack Daniel. “The NIPRA board has worked for years to bring us to this point, and with designation from the FRA and help with matching money, we can have train service back in Fort Wayne and Northern Indian in the coming years,” Daniel stated.
Daniel is part owner and senior partner in the architectural firm, Martin Riley. He along with other board members, have played an active role in promoting the return of passenger rail service and also to make sure the Baker Street Train Station is ready to serve the public again, as it did for decades. The station was built in 1914 and was totally renovated in 2002. Passenger rail service left Fort Wayne in November of 1990.
NIPRA believes interest in expanding rail is here and can create hundreds of jobs in this area (4,500 statewide) and save energy. Travel time to Chicago could be two to three hours, making it attractive to business and recreational travelers. NIPRA also believes the federal and state governments should adopt a policy of continuous improvements, treating the existing Amtrak network as a strong foundation of service. NIPRA is pleased with the commitment made by the FRA and the Bi Partisan Infrascture Act and wants to receive a portion of funds for infrastructure improvements for this line. It is hoped the cost for the improvements will be known when the Service Development Plan is completed.
