The Indiana Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration have reached an agreement on an issue that had threatened to derail a state plan to maintain Amtrak service between Indianapolis and Chicago.
A Railroad Administration policy announced last month that would have effectively deemed Indiana a rail carrier even though it doesn’t own any tracks or trains had threatened the service running four days each week.
INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield says the agreement announced Monday calls for INDOT to write contracts to ensure that Amtrak and Iowa Pacific meet federal safety standards and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and for INDOT to designate a staff member to oversee contract compliance.
INDOT has been working to improve passenger service along the 196-mile Hoosier State line for the past year.