INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The leader of a coalition of states that foot most of the costs of Amtrak's short passenger routes says its members are worried about how a new federal policy will impact those routes.
Patricia Quinn chairs the Portland, Maine-based States for Passenger Rail Coalition. She says a policy being drafted by the Federal Railroad Administration could make it impossible in some cases for states to keep their intercity Amtrak routes running.
The Indiana Department of Transportation announced Friday the Hoosier State passenger line would end after April 1. That line has linked Indianapolis and Chicago since 1980.
INDOT Commissioner Karl Browning said the new policy led to the state's decision. Browning says the policy would deem Indiana a rail carrier and saddle it with more costs, paperwork and liability.
