Staff Reports
U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., visited the Indiana Eastern Railroad headquarters Tuesday for a tour and to learn more about the railroad’s services.
Pence, a Columbus resident, is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Railroad Subcommittee. The visit was part of a week-long swing through the 6th District, which he represents.
Indiana Eastern, located in Cottage Grove in Union County, operates on 43 miles of track in Wayne, Union and Franklin counties in Indiana. The line also extends into Butler and Hamilton counties in Ohio.
“Short line rail is important to our constituents, where it contributes to economic opportunity and business development. It is the primary connection for our local communities to larger markets,” Pence said.
About 136,898 freight railroad miles exist in the United States, of which 3,786 are in Indiana.
George Andres, CEO of Indiana Eastern, said he’s hopeful more lawmakers join Pence in support of the 45G tax credit extension.
“This extension will ultimately provide a vehicle for short lines to rehabilitate track infrastructure, thus increasing efficiencies that provide economic value to our communities and increased safety to the general public,” Andres said.
Also Tuesday, Pence toured East-Terra Plastics in Connersville to learn more about the work it provides.
