The Indiana Department of Transportation, community partners and Amtrak announce passenger amenities on board the Hoosier State service now that it has transitioned to modern Amtrak railcars and locomotives March 1. The train operates four days a week between Indianapolis and Chicago with intermediate stops in Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer and Dyer.
Amtrak will provide Horizon-series coach cars, each seating 68 passengers and including accommodations for passengers with disabilities. A café car with an attendant will have table seating on one end of the car and private seating at the opposite end for 14 Business class passengers. Food and beverages – including alcoholic drinks – will be available for purchase in the café and can be enjoyed at the tables or at each passenger’s seat.
All the railcars have power outlets, reading lights and tray tables at each seat, with free cellular-based AmtrakConnect® Wi-Fi that combines mobile data from multiple carriers along the tracks. Overhead space is provided for baggage and each of the railcars also has a rack to stow larger luggage at one end.
Amtrak continues to have the friendliest carry-on baggage policy in the travel industry, allowing up to four bags and 150 pounds per passenger. Also, coach passengers can bring along a dog or cat weighing 20 pounds or less, housed in a soft-sided carrier, for a fee of $25 each way.
One-way adult ticket prices for coach service to and from Chicago range from $25 to $48 from Indianapolis, $25 to $47 from Crawfordsville, $23 to $45 from Lafayette, $17 to $30 from Rensselaer and $12 to $22 from Dyer. Children 2-12 years old are half-fare and discounts are also available for students, seniors, military and others.
Business class is in a curtained area with abundant space arranged with two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other side, with leather seating surfaces, foot-rests and leg-rests. Included is a 25-percent points bonus for Amtrak Guest Rewards members, as well as complimentary coffee, tea and use of the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago, which offers priority boarding. The additional charge each way for business class is $21 from Indianapolis and Crawfordsville, $20 from Lafayette and $14 from Rensselaer and Dyer.
“BOGO” fares, other promotions and a special railcar for March
To mark the transition, Amtrak and INDOT are offering a “buy-one, get-one” fare for the month of March, so two adult passengers can ride for the price of one. See the Deals tab on Amtrak.com for applicable requirements for fare code V216, for purchase starting Tuesday, Feb. 28.
While Amtrak passengers in business class always have access to the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago Union Station, coach customers normally pay for an upgrade for the Legacy Club, a separate waiting area at the station that has complementary snacks and beverages, charging stations and boarding ahead of other coach passengers. For the month of March, Amtrak Hoosier State coach customers will enjoy complementary Legacy Club access, a $20 value.
Also, for the month of March, the Hoosier State train will include the only dome car in Amtrak service, a Great Dome. Built in 1955 by the Budd Company for the Great Northern Railway, it carries the name “Ocean View.” Repainted in honor of Amtrak’s 40th anniversary, it wears stripes comprised of equal width red, white and blue, symbolic of Amtrak being America’s Railroad®. It features an upper level with windows on all sides to provide passengers with panoramic views of spring in Indianapolis and Chicago, as well as the Hoosier scenery in between. There is no extra cost as seats in the car are unreserved and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Passengers are encouraged to rotate in and out of the Great Dome to allow all to enjoy this unique experience.
About the Hoosier State train
The Amtrak Hoosier State runs north on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings as Train 851 and runs south on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings as Train 850. The other days each week these communities are served by the Amtrak Cardinal (Trains 50 & 51), which operates between New York City and Chicago. Indiana partners with its on-line communities for Hoosier State funding and guidance, and is among 18 states that contract with Amtrak to provide short-distance, intercity passenger rail services. To promote reliability, the locomotive and railcars used for the Hoosier State are part of a pool used for other Amtrak services in the Midwest.