CHESTERTON, Ind. — Mike Noland, president of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District — operator of South Shore Line commuter service — for 11 years, has announced his plans to retire early in 2026.
Noland announced his plans at the board’s Nov. 24 meeting, WVPE Radio reports.
Noland told the board he had originally planned to retire in May, but wanted to ensure that the South Shore’s West Lake Corridor — the new 9-mile branch between Hammond and Dyer, Ind. — was progressing. The project, originally expected to open in May of this year, has experienced construction delays and at last estimate, and is now expected to open in the first quarter of 2026. That’s also when Noland is now hoping to have a replacement in place.
“Now is the time,” he told the board.
Along with the West Lake project, Noland has also overseen the massive project to double-track the line between Gary and Michigan City, Ind., which was completed in 2024 [see “South Shore to introduce …,” Trains.com, April 19, 2024].
Noland came to South Shore from Iowa Pacific Holdings, where he was vice president of Human Resources. He had previously spent two years with his own consulting firm, following 21 years at Chicago’s Metra.
