Amtrak's fantasy map gets real for Indianapolis

• It's the largest federal investment in passenger trains in decades, with $8.2 billion in new funding for high-speed rail and other projects nationwide, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
• The funding stems from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

State of play: The money could result in an expansion of Amtrak's Cardinal line, the only current train between Chicago and Indianapolis, from three days a week to daily.

• Plus: New service between Louisville and Chicago could connect Indianapolis to Louisville for the first time since the early 2000s.

Flashback: Amtrak discontinued the Hoosier State line between Indianapolis and Chicago in 2019 after Indiana cut funding for it.

Between the lines: The Indianapolis-Chicago route takes at least five hours — and often longer — because freight trains enjoy priority access to the tracks.

• The slow service made train travel uncompetitive and helped doom the Hoosier State line.

What's happening: Amtrak, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency each received $500,000 grants to determine how to make these projects work.

• The INDOT grant tasks Indiana with finding ways to speed up travel, which could make the Indianapolis-Chicago route more appealing and financially viable.

💭 My thought bubble: Faster travel times are crucial.

• I'm a big train guy. I use subways and light rail when I travel and I love using commuter lines on the East Coast.
• I've never taken a train between Indianapolis and Chicago because the unpredictable timing makes it infeasible to me even as a novelty trip.

Reality check: These grants mark the beginning of a yearslong planning process with no specific timeline.

Yes, but: The money is a sign of tangible progress — much more so than when Amtrak released an aspirational map in 2021 that was derided as fan fiction for train lovers.

The bottom line: It's no sure thing that Indianapolis will get practical passenger train service, but the prospects are brighter than they've been in years.