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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA bus company that plans routes based on customer feedback is making daily Chicago-to-Indianapolis service permanent.
New York-based OurBus began a two-month pilot service last month after Amtrak ended its Hoosier State passenger line between Chicago and Indianapolis. The rail agency pulled the train route after after Indiana lawmakers discontinued funding for the line in the latest state budget. The train also stopped in Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer and Dyer.
OurBus said it “opted to continue the route permanently, given the success and demand [it has] seen from riders.”
The bus leaves downtown Indianapolis daily in the morning for Chicago and then returns. There are two roundtrips Sunday. It makes stops in in Zionsville and Lafayette.
OurBus said the route is taking about three hours and 45 minutes, which is faster than the Amtrak line it replaced. The company said only one delay of more than 20 minutes has occurred in the first two months of service.
The route was introduced with $10 one-way fares. Fares now range from $10 to $23, depending on the day.
The company started in 2016. It doesn’t own buses, but contracts with companies for vehicles with Wi-Fi and reclining seats.
OurBus co-founder Axel Hellman said the company is going to try a route between Chicago and Ann Arbor, Michigan, around Thanksgiving with the target audience of University of Michigan students.
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