FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A northeast Indiana group that supports a high-speed rail connection between Fort Wayne and Chicago says it has raised money for a feasibility study.

The News-Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/Tl6oh6 ) the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association has raised $80,000 to pay for the study that will be conducted by Transportation Economics and Management Systems Inc. of Frederick, Md. Rail advocate Geoff Paddock says the study will be finished by the end of the year so it will be ready for the state's next governor.

Paddock says the study will concentrate on the economic-development advantages for Fort Wayne and other cities along the route to Chicago. The study also will consider the benefits of a high-speed line extending from Fort Wayne through Lima, Ohio, to Columbus, Ohio.

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Information from: The News-Sentinel, http://www.news-sentinel.com/ns