Possible move out of Indy Union Station

[Superliner Diner]

With an eye on future development south and east of the city's center, Eli Lilly and Co. is proposing a radical plan to eliminate all Downtown rail lines, including the elevated lines running to Union Station.
Such a plan, if approved, would mean the end of historic Union Station as a destination point for Amtrak passengers -- and the beginning of a new passenger station, probably located at Indianapolis International Airport.

Entire story is here.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

Hmmm, a station at the airport. One advantage of train travel is the downtown connections. On the other hand, I can recall a half dozen times when snow closed the Montreal airport, and everyone rushed the few blocks down to the VIA station to take the train, which was unaffected by the snow storms.

 

[tubaallen]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the train had not been going into Union Station for years....especially since it is closed now.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that the train had not been going into Union Station for years....especially since it is closed now.

I'm correcting you. The Indianapolis Union Station attraction, which was an indoor mall/entertainment/recreation/hotel facility, did close a few years ago. But a small part of the building still functions as a rail station for the Cardinal and (for now) the Kentucky Cardinal.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Hmmm, a station at the airport. One advantage of train travel is the downtown connections. On the other hand, I can recall a half dozen times when snow closed the Montreal airport, and everyone rushed the few blocks down to the VIA station to take the train, which was unaffected by the snow storms.

On the other hand, a rail station at or near an airport can be a catalyst for intermodalism. One could fly in one direction and take the train in the other direction. Trains could feed longer airline flights as well, just as buses feed trains. The airport-area train station could share facilities with the airport itself, using the airport's restaurants, rest rooms, waiting areas, etc.

 

[jccollins]

A downtown station is better than one at the airport.

While the company is busy trying to rip out railroads, why don't they just tear out all the motorroads too? After all, motorroads are just as threatening to pedestrians, especially since they don't have bells, whistles, signs, and gates where crosswalks cross them. This is the most ridiculous proposal I have ever heard!