NEWS




National Railroad Passenger Corporation
Amtrak Intercity
210 South Canal Street
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Fax: 312 655-2565



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			                   ATK-96-01 
January 2, 1996						        Contact: Marc Magliari
							                   312-655-1338


       AMTRAK FOLLOWS RELOCATED & RENOVATED LAFAYETTE, INDIANA STATION

	CHICAGO -- Amtrak passengers traveling to and from Lafayette, Ind., will have a waiting room in an actual railroad station for the first time, starting Thursday, Jan. 4.  Amtrak's Cardinal will begin using the former Big Four Railroad station in the James F. Riehle Plaza at 200 North Second Street.
	This is another step toward completion of the Lafayette Railroad Relocation Project, a more than  $170 million joint federal-state-local effort to end the practice of trains and motor vehicles sharing a 14-block stretch of Fifth Street in Lafayette. 
	Since the practice of "street-running" ended with Amtrak's last train down Fifth Street on July 22, 1994, passengers have used a temporary platform at Second and Alabama Streets.   Previously,  various Fifth Street storefronts were utilized.
	Although the City of Lafayette first began discussing railroad relocation in 1926, the first federal funding for engineering of the relocation did not come until 1975.  Environmental studies and hearings lasted until 1979 and federal officials approved the final design in 1981.
	
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	Construction began in 1986, with phases completed in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.
	The Big Four depot, built in 1902, was relocated to the plaza site from an address three blocks away in 1994.  The 550-ton building was placed on 18 sets of wheeled dollies and rolled to the site over the better part of four days.  Renovation was completed in 1995.  
	Amtrak passengers will cross above the new rail line on an elevated pedestrian bridge, which will provide access to the Amtrak waiting shelter on the west side.  	
	Other features of Riehle Plaza include a brick-paved gathering place and public open space, a fountain, landscaped green space and a textured concrete wall to provide visual and sound screening from the tracks.
	Although the station is not staffed by Amtrak, an automatic ticket dispenser will soon be operating and city buses for all routes use the station.  The intermodal options will soon increase with Greyhound Lines' plans to locate its depot in the station.
	Amtrak's Cardinal  travels through Lafayette three times a week between Washington, D.C., and Chicago via Charleston, W.Va., Cincinnati and Indianapolis.  It stops westbound at 6:44 a.m. and eastbound at 11:48 p.m.  The westbound train will be the first to use the station.
	Please see an authorized Amtrak travel agent, visit a staffed Amtrak station or call 1-800 USA-RAIL for details on this and other Amtrak services.  
 	
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