Hoosier State (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Hoosier State is a passenger train that provides service on a 196-mile (315 km) route from Chicago to Indianapolis. It runs on the four days each week that the Cardinal does not run (departs Chicago Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; departs Indianapolis Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday). This gives the Chicago to Indianapolis market daily rail service.
During fiscal year 2010, the Hoosier State carried 33,600 passengers, a 7.1% increase from FY 2009's total of 31,384 passengers. During FY 2010, the train had a total revenue of $796,094, an increase of 17.5% from total revenue of $677,755 during FY 2009.
's South Wind and Kentuckian, and the New York Central's James Whitcomb Riley
, Indianapolis Special, and Sycamore. With the advent of Amtrak, riders between the Hoosier State's capital and the Windy City still had Amtrak's South Wind
and the George Washington/James Whitcomb Riley. However, with Penn Central's financial instability, track maintenance was rare, and Amtrak eventually shifted both trains to other routes through Indiana
, and Indianapolis was only served by the National Limited
, which ran between New York and Kansas City.
The National Limited's discontinuance in 1979 severed Indianapolis from the national rail network. This was a major issue for Amtrak, as its main shops were in Beech Grove, a suburb of Indianapolis. Amtrak had been using the National Limited to ferry cars to and from its shops; it was forced to run special trains to Indianapolis instead.
The Hoosier State began October 1, 1980, running over a different route from the Cardinal. On April 27, 1986, the Cardinal was rerouted to use the same tracks as the Hoosier State from Chicago to Indianapolis, and the Hoosier State began running only on the days the Cardinal did not operate. On October 25, 1987, the Hoosier State was restored to daily operation on a separate schedule from the Cardinal. Funding cuts led to the discontinuance of the Hoosier State on September 8, 1995—the Cardinal continued tri-weekly operation between Chicago, Indianapolis and the East Coast. Amtrak restored the Hoosier State on July 19, 1998, as a tri-, later quad-weekly train.
From December 17, 1999, to July 4, 2003, the Hoosier State was extended south from Indianapolis to Louisville, Kentucky
, and renamed the Kentucky Cardinal. After the discontinuance of the Kentucky Cardinal the Hoosier State returned to operating four days a week in tandem with the Cardinal.
, Canadian National Railway
, Union Pacific Railroad
, and Metra
trackage:
equipment, but occasionally supplemented by Amfleet
cars. Power is a General Electric
Genesis P42DC locomotive. There are no food-service cars because the train offers only coach-class service. However, the train often carries cars to and from Amtrak's repair facility at Beech Grove.
During fiscal year 2010, the Hoosier State carried 33,600 passengers, a 7.1% increase from FY 2009's total of 31,384 passengers. During FY 2010, the train had a total revenue of $796,094, an increase of 17.5% from total revenue of $677,755 during FY 2009.
History
Prior to Amtrak, the Chicago-Indianapolis market was served by several daily trains, with the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
's South Wind and Kentuckian, and the New York Central's James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley (train)
The James Whitcomb Riley was a passenger train operated by the New York Central between Chicago, Illinois and Cincinnati, Ohio via Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Indianapolis Special, and Sycamore. With the advent of Amtrak, riders between the Hoosier State's capital and the Windy City still had Amtrak's South Wind
South Wind (passenger train)
The South Wind was a named passenger train equipped and operated jointly by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad , and the Florida East Coast Railway. The South Wind began operations in December 1940, providing streamliner service...
and the George Washington/James Whitcomb Riley. However, with Penn Central's financial instability, track maintenance was rare, and Amtrak eventually shifted both trains to other routes through Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Indianapolis was only served by the National Limited
National Limited (Amtrak)
The National Limited was a passenger train which ran between New York City and Kansas City, Missouri. Amtrak operated the train between 1971 and 1979.-History:...
, which ran between New York and Kansas City.
The National Limited's discontinuance in 1979 severed Indianapolis from the national rail network. This was a major issue for Amtrak, as its main shops were in Beech Grove, a suburb of Indianapolis. Amtrak had been using the National Limited to ferry cars to and from its shops; it was forced to run special trains to Indianapolis instead.
The Hoosier State began October 1, 1980, running over a different route from the Cardinal. On April 27, 1986, the Cardinal was rerouted to use the same tracks as the Hoosier State from Chicago to Indianapolis, and the Hoosier State began running only on the days the Cardinal did not operate. On October 25, 1987, the Hoosier State was restored to daily operation on a separate schedule from the Cardinal. Funding cuts led to the discontinuance of the Hoosier State on September 8, 1995—the Cardinal continued tri-weekly operation between Chicago, Indianapolis and the East Coast. Amtrak restored the Hoosier State on July 19, 1998, as a tri-, later quad-weekly train.
From December 17, 1999, to July 4, 2003, the Hoosier State was extended south from Indianapolis to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and renamed the Kentucky Cardinal. After the discontinuance of the Kentucky Cardinal the Hoosier State returned to operating four days a week in tandem with the Cardinal.
Route details
The Hoosier State operates over Amtrak, CSX TransportationCSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
, Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, and Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
trackage:
- CSX Cincinnati Terminal Subdivision, Indianapolis SubdivisionIndianapolis SubdivisionThe Indianapolis Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Ohio and Indiana. The line runs from Hamilton, Ohio west to Indianapolis, Indiana along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line.The east end of the Indianapolis Subdivision is at the...
, Indianapolis Terminal Subdivision, Crawfordsville Branch Subdivision, Lafayette Subdivision, and Monon Subdivision, Indianapolis to MunsterMunster, IndianaMunster is a town located in North Township, Lake County, in Northwest Indiana in the United States. This bedroom community lies in the Chicago metropolitan area, approximately southeast of the Chicago Loop, and shares municipal boundaries with Hammond to the north, Highland to the east, Dyer and... - CN Elsdon Subdivision, Munster to ThorntonThornton, IllinoisThornton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,582 at the 2000 census. Thornton is home to the Thornton Quarry, one of the largest quarries in the world.-Geography:Thornton is located at ....
- UP Villa Grove Subdivision, Thornton to 81st Street
- Metra SouthWest ServiceSouthWest ServiceThe SouthWest Service is an American commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra, running southwest from Union Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois, to Manhattan, Illinois...
, 81st Street to Chicago
Train consist
The Hoosier State generally operates with two coaches, generally HorizonHorizon (railcar)
Amtrak's Horizon Fleet are rail cars based upon the Comet II commuter coach design. The coaches were built by Bombardier Transportation in Barre, Vermont in 1989.-Car design:...
equipment, but occasionally supplemented by Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
cars. Power is a General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Genesis P42DC locomotive. There are no food-service cars because the train offers only coach-class service. However, the train often carries cars to and from Amtrak's repair facility at Beech Grove.
Station stops
| State/Province | Town/City | Station | Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... |
Indianapolis Indianapolis (Amtrak station) Indianapolis is an Amtrak station in Indianapolis, Indiana, served by the Cardinal and is the eastern terminus of the Hoosier State. It was also served by the Kentucky Cardinal until July 5, 2003. The station is adjacent to Lucas Oil Stadium... |
Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... : Thruway Motorcoach to Champaign, Illinois Champaign, Illinois Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of... , Danville, Illinois Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of... , Davenport, Iowa Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk... , Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County.... , Greater Peoria Regional Airport Greater Peoria Regional Airport General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport is a joint civil-military public use airport located four nautical miles west of the central business district of Peoria, a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The airport is on the northwest edge of Bartonville, near Bellevue. It... in Peoria, Illinois Peoria, Illinois Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated... , Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , Moline, Illinois Moline, Illinois Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of... , and Normal, Illinois Normal, Illinois Normal is an incorporated town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 52,497 as of the 2010 census. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area... |
| Crawfordsville Crawfordsville, Indiana Crawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County... |
Crawfordsville Crawfordsville (Amtrak station) Crawfordsville Station is an Amtrak station on the Cardinal and Hoosier State lines in Crawfordsville, Indiana.-History:The original station was built in 1926 by the Monon Railroad, which it served until 1967... |
none | |
| Lafayette Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on... |
Lafayette Lafayette, Indiana (Amtrak station) Lafayette is an Amtrak station in Lafayette, Indiana, served by the Cardinal and Hoosier State. The current station location was established in 1994. The Amtrak train previously stopped in the middle of the city's 5th Street, near the former Monon Railroad depot. The station building was moved to... |
Greyhound Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and... CityBus Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation The Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation is a municipal corporation founded in 1971 that provides bus services in Tippecanoe County, Indiana under the operating name of CityBus.-History:... : 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3B, 4A, 4B, 6A, 6B, 7 |
|
| Rensselaer Rensselaer, Indiana -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,294 people, 2,158 households, and 1,404 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,824.8 people per square mile . There were 2,296 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile... |
Rensselaer Rensselaer (Amtrak station) Rensselaer is an Amtrak station in Rensselaer, Indiana, served by the Cardinal and Hoosier State. The current Rensselaer Station is little more than an enclosed sheltered waiting area built in 1979... |
none | |
| Dyer Dyer, Indiana As of the census of 2010, there were 16,390 people residing in the town. The population density was 2,731.67 people per square mile . There were 6,125 housing units at an average density of 1,020.83 per square mile... |
Dyer Dyer (Amtrak station) Dyer is an Amtrak station in Dyer, Indiana, served by the Cardinal and Hoosier State, and is the penultimate station for both trains.Dyer Station is merely a sheltered platform and a little shelter with just seats, however it is located near an at-grade crossing of two railroad lines; CSX and the... |
EasyGo Lake Transit Hammond Transit Hammond Transit System is the provider of bus service in the Chicago suburb of Hammond, Indiana. It features four local intra-city routes and one route that provides access to neighboring Whiting and Chicago's East Side neighborhood. The system was established in 1976 as replacement for the... : Red Route (at Main/Calumet intersection) |
|
| Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
Chicago | Chicago Union Station Union Station (Chicago) Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams... |
Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... : Blue Water Blue Water (passenger train) The Blue Water, also known as the Blue Water Limited 1975—1982, is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The line connects Port Huron, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois via East Lansing, Michigan.... , California Zephyr California Zephyr The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California... , Capitol Limited, Carl Sandburg Carl Sandburg (Amtrak) The Carl Sandburg is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. This train began operation on October 30, 2006 and is an addition to the existing Illinois Service rail network created in 1971 and partially funded by the Illinois Department of... , City of New Orleans City of New Orleans The City of New Orleans is a nightly passenger train operated by Amtrak which travels between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans, Louisiana. Before Amtrak's formation in 1971, the train was operated by the Illinois Central Railroad along the same route . The train currently operates on a 19½ hour... , Empire Builder Empire Builder The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before... , Hiawatha Hiawatha (Amtrak) Hiawatha Service, or Hiawatha, is the name of an train route operated by Amtrak on the western shore of Lake Michigan, although the name was historically applied to several different routes that extended across the Midwest and out to the Pacific Ocean... , Illini Illini (Amtrak) The Illini is a 310-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation and by local governments along the route... , Illinois Zephyr Illinois Zephyr The Illinois Zephyr is a 258-mile passenger train operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago and Quincy, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation... , Lake Shore Limited Lake Shore Limited The Lake Shore Limited is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The train runs between Chicago and Albany, NY, where it divides into two sections that provide thru-service to New York and Boston... , Lincoln Service, Pere Marquette Pere Marquette (passenger train) Pere Marquette is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The 176-mile line connects Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. Pere Marquette is funded in part by the Michigan Department of Transportation... , Saluki Saluki (Amtrak) The Saluki is a 310-mile passenger train line operated by Amtrak running between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois. The train is a part of the Illinois Service rail network and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation... , Southwest Chief Southwest Chief The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California... , Texas Eagle Texas Eagle The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. Trains run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, and continue to Los Angeles, California, 2728 miles total, three days a week... , Wolverine Wolverine (passenger train) The Wolverine is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak as part of its Michigan Services. The line provides three daily round-trips along the Pontiac–Detroit–Chicago route... , Thruway Motorcoach to Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... , Madison Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... , Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... and Rockford Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... CTA Chicago Transit Authority Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs.... : 14, 19, 20, X20, 38, 56, 60, 120, 122, 124, 127, 129, 157 Metra Metra Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by... : BNSF Railway BNSF Railway Line The BNSF Railway Line is a commuter rail line in the United States, provided by Metra and operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs... , HC Heritage Corridor The Heritage Corridor Line is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the Heritage Corridor line are printed in dark "Alton... , MD-N Milwaukee District/North Line The Milwaukee District/North is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs... , MD-W Milwaukee District/West Line The Milwaukee District/West is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs... , NCS North Central Service The North Central Service is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the North Central Service line are printed in light "Soo... , SWS SouthWest Service The SouthWest Service is an American commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra, running southwest from Union Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois, to Manhattan, Illinois... |