State Services
Existing passenger rail services and operations are controlled by Amtrak and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD/South Shore). Indiana also has several tourist trains that operate in the state. For more information about individual train schedules, please contact the operator directly.
Amtrak
In addition to the Cardinal, Amtrak has two other services that travel through Indiana. The Capital Limited runs daily between Chicago and Washington, DC with stops in South Bend and Elkhart, Ind. The Capitol Limited also has limited walk-on bike service.
The Lake Shore Limited operates daily between Chicago and New York, with stops in South Bend, Elkhart and Waterloo, Ind. For more information about these services visit the Amtrak website at www.Amtrak.com.
The Wolverine, one of Michigan's state-supported routes, has stops in Hammond and Michigan City, Ind., on its way from Chicago to Detroit/Pontiac.
INDOT has provided more than $1 million in financial assistance for capital improvements to the historic Amtrak Beech Grove maintenance facility. This infusion helped Amtrak renovate buildings used to expand repair services and secure jobs of Beech Grove and Indianapolis area residents.
NICTD/South Shore
The 1977 state General Assembly created NICTD to preserve service on the South Shore Railroad which serves St. Joseph, LaPorte, Porter and Lake counties. Service originates in South Bend, and has 20 stops before reaching Chicago, the final destination. For more information, visit the NICTD website at www.nictd.com/.
Midwest Regional Rail Initiative
The Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission is an interstate compact of Midwestern state legislators, governors and their designees who believe that preservation and expansion of the existing passenger rail system is essential. For more information, please visit the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission website.
Midwestern states, through the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, have developed plans over the years to improve passenger rail service in this region. Indiana is one of eight member states which include Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Currently these states are participating in the FRA-led Midwest Regional Rail Study. This study is analyzing better passenger rail connections in the Midwest megaregion.
Hoosier State Passenger Rail
Amtrak’s Hoosier State Train ceased operations June 30, 2019 due to the elimination of state funding. Under a 2008 federal law, services such as the Hoosier State train require state sponsorship. The train ran between Indianapolis and Chicago three days a week.
Amtrak's long-distance Cardinal services continue to provide trice-weekly roundtrip passenger rail service between Indianapolis and Chicago, which includes intermediate stops in Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer and Dyer, Ind. For schedule information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Amtrak website.
Existing passenger rail services and operations are controlled by Amtrak and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NCTD/South Shore). Indiana also has several tourist trains that operate in the state. For more information about individual train schedules, please contact the operator directly.
Tourist Trains
For those interested in a bit of nostalgia, several tourist trains operate in Indiana. For more information on scheduling and pricing, please contact the operator directly. INDOT does not have jurisdiction over tourist trains.