Advisory group hopes to keep Lafayette Amtrak going

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Some community members continue to work to make sure a rail line that stops in Lafayette doesn't disappear later this year.

The federal government announced last year it would stop funding shortfalls on rail lines that are less than 750 miles long. This means the Hoosier State Line, an Amtrak line running daily between Chicago and Indianapolis with a stop in Lafayette, could stop running in October.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) was expected to pick up the slack in funding, but has not agreed to do that yet. But, INDOT has agreed to conduct a study.
    
An area advisory committee has been created representing various entities in the community to give input for INDOT's study.

"What it's going to do is allow the comment and the discussion to be back in the community served the Hoosier State," said advisory committee member Arvid Olsen. "Not just Lafayette but Crawfordsville, Rensselaer, Dyer."

Olson said the study should wrap up by the end of summer. He said the clock is ticking because the rail line could stop on Oct. 1.