Committee Releases Nickel Plate Proposal Rankings

(Image courtesy of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority)

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Preferred options for a new operator for the Nickel Plate rail line have been tallied. Members of a Hoosier Heritage Port Authority committee ranked proposals from five different groups and the submission from Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC, the one-time operator of the Hoosier State line, came out on top. The Indiana Transportation Museum previously operated the Nickel Plate, but had its permission suspended last year by the authority due to safety concerns.

ITM made a pitch during this Request for Proposal round and received the third-highest score. Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad, Indianapolis Metropolitan Railway Co. and Hoosier Heritage Railroad finished second, fourth and fifth, respectively. The State Fair Train was run annually along the tracks until last year. It is not expected to run next month during this year’s State Fair.

Iowa Pacific’s proposal calls for its subsidiary Hoosier State Train LLC to restart service along the full, 37-mile Tipton-to-Indianapolis line. It says the proposal would be cooperative with a previously-announced, $9.3 million "rail-to-trail" plan in the works from the cities of Noblesville and Fishers.

You can connect to copied of each team’s proposal and the overall rankings totals by clicking here.