CHESTERTON, Ind. — The South Shore Line will introduce expanded schedules on Tuesday, May 14, signaling the completion of the Double Track project between Gary and Michigan City, Ind.
“The final completion of Double Track allows for the addition of 14 weekday trains, revised times, reduced travel times, and new, limited-stop express service,” Michael Noland, Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District president, said in announcing the new schedules on Thursday, April 18. “In addition to new weekday trains, portions of weekend train times have also been modified to reflect improved travel times.”
The new schedules, available here, included limited-stop trains that will need as little as 1 hour, 7 minutes between 11th Street in Michigan City or 1 hour, 49 minutes from South Bend to Millennium Station in Chicago. The Double Track project has also added high-level, accessible platforms at 11th Street, Portage/Odgen Dunes, and Gary Miller; those stations are also now part of the Bikes on Trains program, which has been expanded to include all trains, all year.
Full rail service over the length of the South Shore route has only been available since April 9, following completion of construction of the second track that had led to busing over parts of the route since February 2022 to accommodate the 26-mile, $378 million project [see “South Shore Line to resume train service …,” Trains News Wire, March 27, 2024].
“We sincerely appreciate passengers’ patience and understanding throughout the construction, temporary busing, and schedule revisions required in order to reach substantial completion of the Double Track Project,” said Nicole Barker, director of capital investment and implementation/Double Track NWI project manager.
@Charles, if you look at Google Earth you can see the construction of all the bridges over highways, railroads and rivers. Also there is a bike trail next to it, so they are installing pedestrian bridges over the busier roads.
In some places you could see the old Monon tracks in the weeds with brand new ballast and rail right next to it.
@Thomas, NW Indiana is growing (quickly) even without the Monon Corridor in place. Can’t tell you how many cars were driving up to Hammond to catch the SS to get to work in Chicago. I used to work with people who lived in Valpo and commuted on the SS for years. The question will be how many people from the Illinois side it will draw. I know people who live in Manteno/Momence and Beecher who drive up to University Park to catch the IC Electric. They might just get on at Dyer.
Live in Dyer,wish it wasn’t being built. Will only bring congestion and noise to the area.
Because cars create no noise? If anything, the train will bring people out of their cars and reduce congestion. If you think traffic is bad in Chicagoland right now, just imagine if there was no Metra or SSL.
I am surprised there hasn’t been much coverage of the new Monon Corridor. Usually Steve Smedley or someone local is all over these new construction efforts for additional service.
Good catch, John. The first I knew of the Monon Corridor was looking at the map (above) this morning. I had no idea it was being built.