A proposed high-level gathering of local officials involved in the ownership, the use and the future of the Nickel Plate Railroad was something of a bust Wednesday night. City officials from Noblesville and Fishers did not attend the meeting called by the Hamilton County Council as a “work session.”
Earlier this week Mayors John Ditslear of Noblesville, and Scott Fadness, of Fishers, announced they will work toward eliminating the railroad between Noblesville and 96th Street in favor of a pedestrian trail similar to the popular Monon Trail in the western part of the county which extends into downtown Indianapolis.
County Councilman Rick McKinney said Thursday that he was disappointed that more did not come of the work session. It was attended by council members, County Commissioner Christine Altman, Tourism Director Brenda Myers, and individuals of the Indiana Transportation Museum (ITM) and Cicero.
The cost of converting the railroad to a trail is estimated at $9 million. The cost of making safety improvements to the rail line has been estimated at $3 million or more, but McKinney said a representative of the ITM told him that figure was estimated too high and could be done for something in the neighborhood of $1 million.
McKinney said he is frustrated by the situation. “The railroad is an asset, and I hate to see it lost,” he said. It may not be lost soon as city officials have promised public hearings on the future of the Nickel Plate. If the decision is made to proceed with a trail, financing will have to be arranged.
Meanwhile, there will be no trains on the railroad for a second year. Owners of the tracks, the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, have suspended use due to safety concerns. ITM had operated excursion trains for the past 20 years including the popular Fairtrain and other seasonal trips which the Tourism Bureau considers a “draw” for visitors and locals.
The Nickel Plate is a 38-mile line from Indianapolis to Tipton constructed in 1851 and running through the business districts of Fishers, Noblesville, Cicero, Arcadia and Atlanta. It is the last rail line in the county and was saved from abandonment in the 1990s when Noblesville, Fishers and the county created the Port Authority to assume ownership.