DYER | Dyer officials are in talks to bring an Amtrak station to the town, Town Council President Jeff Dekker said.
Dekker said he recently met with Amtrak officials regarding the project, which is in its preliminary stages. Dekker gave a brief description of the meeting and the information he was given during a recent Town Council meeting.
The station would be located along Sheffield Avenue, he said. Specific cost estimates were not available, but Dekker has seen preliminary plans that he said look “very nice.”
The station would be unmanned but would involve an actual building. No copies of the plans were available at the meeting. Currently, the Sheffield Amtrak stop is marked only by a clear passenger shelter. It also is a non-ticketing stop, meaning passengers must either buy their tickets elsewhere or online.
A train station was on a wish list when an overlay zoning plan was designed and approved for Sheffield Avenue 10 years ago. The overlay zoning stipulated any new development along the corridor be constructed in a pedestrian-friendly manner, providing walkways and other means of pedestrian access.
Drawings provided by the project’s architect envisioned a full rail station, complete with shops and ticketing capabilities on the east side of Sheffield where the pedestrian rail shelter is now.
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