A $500,000 federal grant will help Clarksville explore adding an Amtrak station in the town. CNHI File Photo
CLARKSVILLE — The Town of Clarksville’s vision of bringing a rail system through the Southern Indiana municipality received a major funding boost Friday.
The Federal Railroad Administration announced grants to multiple organizations in Kentucky and Indiana designated for “assessment and potential development” of passenger rail corridors. The Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency, or KIPDA, garnered $500,000 “to assess the viability of re-establishing passenger rail service connecting Louisville to Indianapolis.”
Clarksville partnered with Louisville Metro and KIPDA to apply for the planning grant. The Indiana Department of Transportation added to the partnership by applying for and receiving a grant to explore the creation of a rail corridor connecting Indianapolis to Chicago. Clarksville has been exploring an Amtrak stop for several years, including it in a plan for the redevelopment of the southern portion of the town. The plan also entails a conference center, hotel and other developments.
“Amtrak first announced this planned expansion about two years ago, and seeing how the routes went through Clarksville, we immediately knew how monumental this would be for the town and especially for our new downtown area,” said Neal Turpin, planning director for the Town of Clarksville. “It will help Clarksville and Southern Indiana residents connect to the rest of the country by rail, and sets the area up for sustained, beneficial, long-term growth.”
With the federal grant, KIPDA, Clarksville and Louisville will assess potential stations along the corridor, provide ridership estimates and examine the level of speed and frequency for the rail system.
“Today’s announcement is an exciting step towards providing long desired passenger rail service. The proposed route would be transformational for economic development and travel opportunities for the region,” said KIPDA Executive Director Jarrett Haley.
The two combined corridors would connect the 313-mile distance between Louisville and Chicago. It would also establish the first intercity passenger rail system for Louisville in decades, according to KIPDA.
“While this planning grant is only the first step in the process to bring passenger rail back to this region, we could not be more excited about what passenger rail service can add to complement a modern, sustainable, 21st Century transportation system in this region and beyond,” said Andy Rush, KIPDA’s transportation director.
INDOT received $500,000 to examine the Indianapolis to Chicago connection. A proposal to connect Chicago to Pittsburgh that would include Fort Wayne also garnered a federal grant.
“This is a first step toward expanding passenger rail in Indiana,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “Receiving this funding allows us to gather essential information to make more informed decisions going forward.”
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