High fuel costs push Indiana residents to ride the rails TIPPECANOE COUNTY, IN (wbaa) - More Indiana commuters are turning to trains with gas hovering around $4 a gallon.

Since September, Amtrak has seen a 25 percent spike in riders statewide. Passengers are taking a break from highway traffic and plane delays and cancellations.

Indiana U.S. Senator Evan Bayh has asked the federal government for a 36 percent increase in rail funding this year to maintain and expand operations.

Crawfordsville High School English teacher and train expert Helen Hudson says an increase in services is a good idea.

Hudson says trains will never take the place of cars or semi-trucks, but trains have been neglected for too long. She says Indiana can look to neighboring Illinois as a role model for a partnership between Amtrak and the state. © Copyright 2009, wbaa