LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville is one step closer to getting passenger rail lines to Indianapolis and even on to Chicago. The Kentuckian Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA) received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration.

What You Need To Know

  • The Kentuckian Regional Planning and Development Agency received a $500,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration

  • The rail service would go from Louisville to Indianapolis and then on to Chicago.

  • There are three phases, and phase one is federal funded

  • Louisville hasn't had a passenger rail in two decades.

KIPDA’s transportation director Andy Rush said the money would fund one of three phases. The first phase includes scouting locations for train stops, getting ridership estimates and evaluating infrastructure needs.

“This study will take a preliminary look at those things and see how viable it is, what’s the viability cost points, price points for tickets?” Rush said. “How does it compare to perhaps a what it cost to drive from Louisville to Chicago? What’s it cost to get on an airplane to go from Louisville to Chicago and points beyond in the Midwest?”

The Derby City has not had passenger rail in two decades.

Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, said this planning phase would be for a rail service that goes from Louisville to Indianapolis and then on to Chicago.

“We are very excited about this as we look to continue to provide new ways to get to and from Louisville to help boost our economy and provide people with more transportation options.” Greenberg said.

There was once a train called Kentucky Cardinal, but it wasn’t heavily used due to what some considered slow service.

KIPDA community outreach specialist Greg Burress said this new passenger rail would have to be car-competitive.

“You’re talking about going to a place like Chicago, which has mass transit, and you can get on here in Louisville,” Burress said. “You don’t have to worry about parking downtown in Chicago. You don’t have to worry about just driving up there with construction, with accidents, anything that happens that way. That’s a great thing.”

Rush said it would make it more accessible to more people.

“If it could get into downtown or near downtown, that makes it convenient to most folks,” Rush said. “So, it’s not to say there wouldn’t be a stop in southern Indiana, too. We’d be hopeful for potentially to have both. That’d be… it’d be fantastic if so.”

The hope is this passenger train will lower costs and be an environmentally sustainable way for people to come to and from Louisville.

A similar grant was awarded for passenger rail between Indianapolis and Chicago, which would open up even more travel opportunities to and from Louisville. But this is just phase one of three, so it would be years before Louisville could see the rail service start.

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