Kosciusko County Commissioners voted this morning to give $10,000 to a high-speed rail service study. High-speed rail service is being proposed and the passenger service would travel through Warsaw. (See related)

The county needs to raise $67,000 for their portion of the study and the state must raise more than half a million. The tier-one environmental study will cost about $2 million.

If approved, high-speed rail service would travel from Columbus, Ohio, to Chicago. Existing infrastructure would be used, as Warsaw already has an east-west railroad line. Commissioner Brad Jackson said he thinks high-speed rail service would be good for the county, especially for existing companies. Truex agreed and made a motion to approve $10,000 to be put toward the cost of the study.

Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, who was at the meeting, said many interns from Ohio State University in Columbus come to the county to work at orthopedic companies. Thallemer said the tracks, at one time, handled high speed rail service. “It makes it desirable,” the mayor said of the existing tracks.

Last month, the Warsaw Common Council agreed to allow Thallemer to approach other entities in the county that would benefit from high-speed rail service to help fund the cost. (See related)