FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – An update on returning passenger rail service to Fort Wayne was announced Thursday.

Mayor Tom Henry, City Councilman Geoff Paddock, and Northern Indiana Passenger Rail Association President Fred Lanahan made the announcement at Baker Street Station.

The city has submitted the Midwest Connect corridor identification grant application to the Federal Railroad Administration. It serves as a first step in the process to attempt to bring passenger rail service to the city. The plan would involve Fort Wayne as a stop on a route from Pittsburg to Chicago.

The $500,000 grant would cover a substantial part of the cost of the next step in the process, which is preparation of a service development plan that would advance the scope, schedule, and cost estimates for preliminary engineering, environmental impact, and construction.

Lanahan said if all goes well, it may be possible to see passenger rail service return to the city in four to five years.