Passenger Rail Advocates Pushing State for $$

   Local passenger rail advocates will try again to get money to bring passenger trains back to Fort Wayne. 

   This follows a disappointing effort last year when Indiana got only a tiny fraction of the railroad funding it applied for. Advocates hope this year will be different. 

   “We believe that would open up a lot of tourist activity, a lot of economic development activity in our state,” said Geoff Paddock, board member of the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA).

   As the legislature gets ready to convene, members of NIPRA are pushing lawmakers to set aside money for rail development.

   “We see this as a very desirable area for folks to want to travel,” said Paddock.

   NIPRA’s goal is to get a train from Fort Wayne to Chicago.

   “There'll be nice stories to tell about riding comfortably in cars, and being able to do your work on your way to Chicago,” said Skip Sassmannshausen, NIPRA board member.

   What do you think? Should passenger rail come back to Fort Wayne? FOX Fort Wayne asked that question on our Facebook page.
   Many Facebook visitors liked the idea. But Dawn wrote, “…why bring back something that wasn't successful before?...sometimes letting sleeping dogs lie is the best answer.”

   Head to our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/FoxFortWayne, and you can become part of the conversation.