LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Bringing Amtrak back to the Derby City is still on track to happen.
Amtrak plans to connect Louisville, Indianapolis and Chicago, a trip that would take 5 hours and 45 minutes, with four round trips daily.
Amtrak's website shows proposed services also include Jeffersonville and Columbus, Indiana.
"What we're proposing here is driving time competitive service," Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said.
More information about the proposal can be found by clicking here.
Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., said having more direct connections to other cities would be a benefit for tourism and businesses.
"With Amtrak specifically, we're very excited about their plans to expand into Greater Louisville, because it gives Louisvillians access to other neighboring cities but also gives people from other cities opportunities to come to Louisville," she said.
The timeline is still unclear on when this could happen. Plans are still contingent on the infrastructure bill in the U.S. House.
The proposed map for an expanded rail service under President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan. (Courtesy of Amtrak)
"The Senate bill — should it pass the House largely in the form it came over from the Senate — will create programs that will make it easier for the states and lower the cost for the states of starting up these kinds of services," Magliari said.
Magliari also said it depends on states and planning organizations engaging Amtrak.
Amtrak operated a train in the Louisville area in the past, the short-lived route known as the Kentucky Cardinal, which folded more than 15 years ago. According to Magliari, the Kentucky Cardinal ran from December 1999 until January 2003 but did not attract significant ridership due to its schedule, which was not driving-time competitive.
Magliari said this time around, things would be different.
"This is not the same kind of service we ran to Louisville back in the day," he said. "This is meant to be more frequent and shorter travel time than what we've done before."
Mayor Greg Fischer's office released a statement about the possibility of Amtrak in Louisville:
"Louisville’s inclusion in Amtrak’s Connects US Corridor Vision is an exciting prospect, which could bring more connectivity to our city, helping us attract more visitors and new residents and create new jobs. We look forward to working with federal partners to get service to Louisville should Congress pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. We encourage lawmakers to send the legislation to President Biden’s desk for signature, providing a transformative investment in our national infrastructure with a critical down payment for Amtrak to begin to realize its long-term vision."
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