HS Alliance
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Once a busy hub for rail travel, downtown Union Station is plagued with a number of maintenance issues.
Tod Bassler, President of the Indiana Passenger Railroad Alliancesaid, “I wish the environment was more conducive to guest comfort so they don’t have to sleep on the floor.”
Bassler also pointed to graffiti in the bathrooms and potholes in the pickup/drop-off lane as other issues that need to be addressed.
He said: ‘When we approached the town with our concerns we found they had plans to improve it, clean it up to get rid of graffiti in the bathrooms for example, but the plans have to come to accomplishment.”
Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development owns Union Station, home to both the Greyhound bus lines and the Amtrak train stop.
The city government issued a statement on the issues facing the station.
“Greyhound, a City tenant in the space, is responsible for keeping its space and common areas in good repair and condition. This includes janitorial and trash can services, snow and ice removal, and property landscaping.
Indianapolis City Government Statement to News 8
Metropolitan Development said it was addressing some of the station’s structural issues.
The city government also said Metropolitan Development and its public works department are under contract for design improvements to the Illinois Street underpass near the station and the pick-up/drop-off lane at the station, and have already invested $5 million in infrastructure support at the station over the past six years.
“In 2019, DMD invested $44,000 in upgrading the station’s HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and lighting systems and in 2021 approved an additional $400,000 for renovations to the restrooms that are currently open. tenders and due September 29. We anticipate construction on this project to begin in early fall.
Indianapolis City Government Statement to News 8
The Indiana Passenger Rail Alliance believes Union Station provides a vital service to people who do not have cars or cannot afford to fly.
Bill Malcom, a spokesman for the railroad alliance, said: “We are a short walk from the Colts stadium. We are a short walk from the convention center. We are within walking distance of our hotels and museums. It’s a diamond in the rough.