Alternative Hoosier State routing & stations

The state of Indiana is currently accepting bids from private operators to run the Hoosier State once its contract with Amtrak is up in October--even though it could let Amtrak continue running the train until next February. 

It's rumored that IN DOT is pretty unhappy with the way Amtrak is currently operating the Hoosier State. Assuming that the state lets another operator run the train, it's likely that the new operator will have to find a new home in Chicago. This map shows that there are two options: LaSalle Street Station and Millennium Station.

The plan is pretty doable for the likes of First Group, RATP Dev, or anyone who potentially replaces Amtrak since Union Station is overcrowded.

Random thoughts #14

1. This map is a special track from Jacksonville Union Terminal to the former Atlantic Coast Line route. This will come in handy should Florida wise up and start corridor service.
2. Possible sites for a new station in D.C. Seven billion dollars to overhaul a historic station is still a lot of money even if it is a fraction of what Amtrak is telling everyone it'll cost to overhaul the Northeast Corridor and build a brand new HSR line between Washington and Boston. Also, if intercity rail is opened up to other companies, not all of them may want to have anything to do with Union Station.
3. Given that the Knowledge Corridor is being rebuilt, the Berkshires route is being advanced by movers and shakers, it's now time to get the Central Corridor going. MA Governor Deval Patrick has promoted the first two routes, he should join his counterpart in CT and back the latter route as well.

Random thoughts #13

1. Cap'n Transit makes some good points on why long distance trains are still needed. Anyone in the rail community who wants to get rid of the national network at best has no understanding of how connectivity works  and at worst demonstrates elitism. The moment that the overnight routes are eliminated, small-town communities will lose yet another means of travel and will be forced to drive hundreds of miles to their destinations. The fact is, Greyhound continues cutting service to small towns and niche bus operators like Megabus are not picking up the slack because they cater to major cities and universities. As far as air travel, forget it because Congress wants to reduce or eliminate subsidies for service to small airports altogether.
2. There's a way for Amtrak to completely avoid having to serve any All Aboard Florida stations between West Palm Beach and Miami and this map is a perspective from a southbound Silver Service train. There are some in the rail community who are devising ways for Amtrak to serve stations on the FEC line but the problem is that the national carrier is usually resistant to have two stations in the same town and given that all four cities are on separate lines the entire time, there is the possibility that Amtrak would not staff anyone at the FEC stations, so that whole approach would be counterproductive.
3. When it comes to the rail station-real estate relationship, it can work for all kinds of passenger rail as the Housatonic Railroad is also devising a plan to make its stations stand out by providing things like coffee shops, newsstands, rental cars and Zipcars. Japan's JR West builds shopping centers and department stores and is Housatonic's likely model.
4. To answer Eric Jaffe's question, it all comes back to the feds. If someone in D.C. can get the clue that the current way of doing things is broken, then we could see more private involvement in passenger rail.