Amtrak could be making a return to Louisville. Here's what we know

Amtrak could be making a return to Louisville.

On Friday, President Joe Biden announced $8.2 billion in funding for high-speed rail and a nationwide pipeline of railroad projects.

Louisville could receive up to $500,000 in the future for a rail project that would ultimately connect the metro area to Chicago. The Louisville selection would be part of the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development, Corridor ID, program.

"The (Corridor ID) is a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program that will help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation," the U.S. Department of Transportation website stated.

In March, the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency, in conjunction with Metro Government, applied for a $500,000 planning grant with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration to attempt to bring back rail service between Louisville and Indianapolis, the Courier Journal previously reported. The Indiana Department of Transportation submitted a similar plan. Now, nine months later, the proposal has been accepted for early stages.

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Shortly after the announcement outside Metro Hall, Mayor Craig Greenberg posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, "This is the first step in our journey to bring Amtrak service back to our city, linking us to Indianapolis and beyond."

“We are so excited to begin the process to potentially bring Amtrak back to Louisville, which would provide travelers new and efficient ways to get to and from Indianapolis, Chicago, and beyond,” said Greenberg. “We’ve heard from so many Louisvillians eager to take advantage of this service and we can’t wait to get to work on developing a plan to make it a reality.”

The Louisville project is expected to enter the first phase of Corridor ID which requires the development of a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, and documenting its service development plan.

“Today, we are one step closer to bringing passenger rail service back to Greater Louisville," Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., the metro area chamber of commerce said. "This is a top priority for the Louisville business community and GLI continues to advocate for expansion of passenger rail service to our region with the U.S. Department of Transportation. Connectivity with the rest of the world is critical for continued economic growth, and we are optimistic that a new point of connection between Louisville, Indianapolis, and Chicago would open new opportunities for our region to attract top businesses and talent.”

Here's what we know about the potential revival of Amtrak in Louisville.

Didn't Louisville try and get Amtrak recently?

In 2021, as part of its "Connect US" aspirational plan, Amtrak envisioned and released a plan to create railways between Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago and potentially a connection to Cincinnati.

The plan envisioned up to 30 or more potential new rail routes and up to 160 more communities served around the country by 2035, the Courier Journal previously published. At the time, the Amtrak plan made it clear that "significant government funding" would be needed to "build and operate these new and improved routes," which could expand and improve rail service for roughly 20 million people.

The proposed expansion would offer four daily round trips between Chicago and Louisville, creating an estimated economic impact of $448 million annually.

When will Louisville’s Amtrak routes start?

At this time it is still too early to determine.

"Some are in the early stages ... some are in more advanced stages and already have a completed service development plan and can move forward more quickly," a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation said during a media call on Thursday. "So, you've got different projects at different stages of development."

What Amtrak routes will be available?

The goal is to create an Amtrak route from Louisville to Chicago with at least one stop in Indianapolis.

"This 115-mile-long corridor [between Louisville and Indianapolis] would provide premium public transportation and prioritize safety, accessibility, and equity with the resurgence of passenger rail," a release from the mayor's office stated.

With the combined railway from Louisville to Indianapolis and Indianapolis to Louisville, the 313-mile route would reconnect Louisville to Chicago for the first time in decades.

"This is critical for our city’s economic development and will revitalize transportation between our two cities," U.S. House of Representatives member Morgan McGarvey said in regard to the potential route between Louisville and Indianapolis.

Where is the Louisville Amtrak station?

The current Amtrak station in Louisville is located at 10th Street and West Broadway. Known as Union Station, the facility is home to the offices of the Transit Authority of River City, or TARC, which operates buses around the Louisville area.

What are Amtrak ticket prices?

Exact ticket prices vary and are dependent on departure location and final destination. Amtrak offers a variety of tickets including:

• Sale fares, the lowest available fares, limited availability and no flexibility

• Value fares are regular rate for fares and limited availability

• Flex fares are fully refundable and no cancellation fees

• Business fares provide a business class experience such as extended legroom, and complimentary non-alcoholic drinks located in a dedicated car or section of the train

• First Class fares offer private rooms and premium amenities such as complimentary onboard food and beverage services and access to lounges

Does Amtrak have WiFi?

Amtrak offers "free basic WiFi service" on many Amtrak trains and at stations across the country.

Can I bring my dog on Amtrak?

For those looking to travel with pets, Amtrak allows you to bring your dogs and cats up to 20 pounds, including the weight of the pet carrier. Pets can join for rides up to seven hours in duration. Pets other than dogs and cats are not welcome aboard.

Are there already Amtrak routes in Kentucky?

Louisville once enjoyed Amtrak service via the Floridian line, which covered roughly 1,600 miles between Chicago and Miami, the Courier Journal previously reported. The Floridian stopped operating in 1979.

Then in 2003, the Kentucky Cardinal was discontinued and stopped taking travelers from Louisville to Chicago.

Currently, Amtrak provides bus services in Louisville via Thruway motorcoach busing which takes riders between Louisville, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Before Amtrak, Louisville travelers could choose between Louisville & Nashville Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad to take them to destinations across the country.

Despite not having railway options for travelers out of Louisville for decades now, Amtrak has continued to service smaller towns in Kentucky including Ashland, Fulton, Maysville, and South Portsmouth.

This story will be updated.

Contact reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @oliviamevans_

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Amtrak could be making a return to Louisville. Here's what we know