Northern Indiana Passenger Rail - NIPRA

10/09/2026

Enjoy a day on the train - views of New River Gorge are spectacular…

10/03/2026

Spent the day in Toledo at the Passenger Rail Alliance Rail Nation conference. NIPRA was represented by Larry Thompson, Fred Lanahan, Dorothy Hagan & Betsy Kachmar.

Lunch catered by the legendary tonypackos.com😊

10/03/2026

Long weekend coming up…Rail trip!!!

Planning a day out with the kids? The South Shore Line makes it easier to bring the whole crew along.

Up to three children age 13 and under ride free with each paying adult.

Start planning your next family trip on the South Shore Line. mysouthshoreline.com/riders/kids/

10/02/2026

Rising cost of highway construction with the gas tax moratorium should lead state legislators to seek transportation alternatives.

Midwest Connect Passenger Rail service would leverage federal, interstate & private funding partnerships using existing track to provide improved mass transportation with minimal disruption to existing routes.

Learn more about the benefits of passenger rail: https://niprarail.org/midwest-connect

https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/10/02/indiana-interstate-highway-construction-costs-soar-amid-inflation-states-own-ambitions/?_bhlid=1c51f6fbcccfb0cf58f63985baf1fe3eb07ddf89

Indiana is building additional interstate capacity where other states are focused on road maintenance or federal bridge funding.

10/01/2026

Sound familiar???? Indiana has already spent this much & more from the General Fund on Highways because of Governor Braun’s moratorium on state gas taxes.

09/30/2026

Just a few days left to show your support for the return of passenger rail to Downtown Fort Wayne…

Make it Downtown is Fort Wayne's plan for what comes next. Your voice will shape how we grow, invest, and build on everything we've already achieved together.

09/28/2026

Brightline service will continue, restructuring debt for this private funded service.

Here’s a link to their 2025 annual report: https://emma.msrb.org/P21965098-P21499318-P21951806.pdf

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Florida's high-speed rail line filing for Chapter 11

Camila Jose Gomez | Tampa Bay Times

Some parent companies of Brightline, the high-speed rail line that promised to connect Orlando to Tampa, will soon file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Miami-based rail service covers areas of South and Central Florida, including a trip from Orlando to Miami. The filing is part of the company's effort to restructure about $5.5 billion in corporate debt, the Wall Street Journal reported this week.

The bankruptcy filing will not include the service's operating units, meaning trains will remain in use during the restructuring. The rights to expand the service to Tampa also remain in place - but a timeline of when that could move forward is unknown.

A spokesperson with Brightline declined to comment for this story.

The restructuring will allow Brightline to lower its debt, according to a news release. The company also secured $490 million from its investors as part of the negotiations. Seventeen of Brightline's parent companies are part of the filing. It's unclear how many companies in total share an ownership stake.

Johnny Wong, executive director of Hillsborough's transportation planning organization, said the news doesn't jeopardize the Tampa expansion project but "creates uncertainty." Another rail company could take up the project, he said.

Wong said communications with Brightline have been limited though his team has shared recommendations for where a station could go in Tampa. But there is no "urgency to deliver the service" and the organization will be tracking any provider's financial viability.

Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times/TNS

09/27/2026

The locomotive arrived in New Haven from the National New York Central Museum in Elkhart on September 15, traveling on Norfolk Southern’s mainline - a first in more than 40 years that comes 69 years after the engine was retired.

READ: https://www.21alivenews.com/2026/09/26/fort-wayne-railroad-celebrates-arrival-historic-steam-locomotive/

09/27/2026

Across the country, communities are planning public transportation projects that will connect families to jobs, healthcare, education, and economic opportunity.

Funding cuts put those plans at risk.

Read more on why APTA is calling for Congress to restore Federal public transportation funding:
https://aptapassengertransport.com/apta-calls-on-congress-at-fly-in-to-restore-funding-for-public-transit-and-passenger-rail/

09/26/2026

Railroad grants for community improvements…

The City of Fort Wayne has received four grants totaling $54,109 from Norfolk Southern, including one through its Thriving Communities Grant Program and three through its Safety First Grant Program.

The funding will support four initiatives focused on improving safety, training, and community development:

• Neighborhood safety lighting
• Upgraded Fort Wayne Fire Department fire training
• Expanded Fort Wayne Police Department intelligence infrastructure
• Corridor trades and beautification through the Fort Wayne Urban Enterprise Association

Read more: https://bit.ly/3V6t2mY