Make wishtv.com your home page

Owner of Nickel Plate tracks accepting proposals to possibly continue Fair Train

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — Could the Indiana State Fair Train get back on track?

The Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, which owns the Nickel Plate tracks the train runs on, is asking for someone to take over for the Indiana Transportation Museum.

For 30 years, the Indiana Transportation Museum ran the Fair Train, and later the Polar Bear Express, however, because the track is in need of millions of dollars of repairs, the Authority refused to let the trains keep running.

“I think we’ve left it pretty open for the proposers to describe what they would do to our line, how they would maintain it,” Hamilton County Port Authority President Mike Obergfrell said. “The other option in there is they would make lease payments in lieu of maintenance.”

There was no public input at Wednesday’s meeting. All proposals are due by June 13 and the Authority hopes to make a decision by July or early August.

Never miss another Facebook post from WISH-TV