The Indiana Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it has requested $2.8 billion in federal stimulus money to plan, build and launch high-speed rail serve from Chicago to Cleveland. Each of the two proposed routes includes a stop in Gary.

"With the support of our counterparts in Chicago and Ohio, INDOT submitted one application that Indiana believes stands the greatest chance of being approved by the Federal Rail Administration," said INDOT Commissioner Michael W. Reed.

A copy of the application is available on the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Web site at http://indot.IN.gov/3064.htm.

The proposal says that initial environmental and feasibility studies would consider two routes through Indiana, either a northern route with proposed stops in South Bend, Elkhart and Waterloo or a southern route with proposed stops in Plymouth, Warsaw and Fort Wayne.

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