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Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
South Shore Line seeks public input on future improvements
The Double Track NWI project is finished. The West Lake Corridor expansion is in the home stretch. The four track going into Millennium Station is well underway. Now the South Shore Line is seeking public input on what to do next. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the railroad, began seeking public comments Thursday on future improvements and priorities. The result will be a 20-year master plan to be approved later this year by the NICTD board of directors. There's discussion about possibly extending the rail line to LaPorte, and Valparaiso was a possibility when the West Lake Corridor project was still in the discussion stages. With the economic development boom in New Carlisle, including a massive new data center, the railroad is considering whether to close its Hudson Lake station, which draws only about three people a day, and open one in nearby New Carlisle. Some South Bend boosters want to see rail service downtown, restoring what was once there decades ago. Also on the table are improvements to existing rail facilities, including upgrading the rail cars and providing more services at stations. So far, the railroad has received more than 4,000 responses from riders during a separate survey, Director of Strategic Planning and Grants Kelly Wenger said. Employees were also surveyed. This survey is aimed at people who don't use the railroad. 'Ridership is increasing, our survey responses are increasing, everything's looking great,' she told the NICTD board at its meeting last week. The railroad also plans to have conversations with local, state and federal officials about what big plans the region has for the next 20 years. General Manager and President Michael Noland said some ideas that have been thrown out include considering shuttle trains between Michigan City and the South Bend airport and Metra upgrades for higher speed and bidirectional signaling. Adding capacity to the Metra system, like the $200 million fourth track being worked on now, helps South Shore Line service, too. With that fourth track, the South Shore will gain new platforms at the Van Buren and Millennium stations. 'Gary Metro is something that's high on the radar screen,' Noland said. That project likely would include a new station to serve both trains and buses, replacing the existing station. 'Can I throw a couple of ideas in on that plan,' asked Gary Mayor Eddie Melton, who serves on the board. The board members, who will ultimately adopt the new 20-year strategic plan later this year, will help railroad officials shape the plan, Noland assured him. 'By gathering public feedback early, we aim to better understand how we can continue building upon our commitment to providing efficient, reliable, and inclusive transportation that drives regional economic development, supports environmental sustainability, and strengthens vital connections to the Greater Chicago area,' says the introduction to the survey at This survey 'aims to identify barriers to ridership, community needs and the types of improvements that could encourage greater use of public transit,' the survey introduction says. The survey ends June 19.
Chicago Tribune
08-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
South Shore riders complain of late, packed trains; railroad considering 10% fare increase
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District got an earful from a handful of riders Tuesday night at the last public hearing on a proposed 10% fare increase for South Shore Line passengers. The fare increase would be the first since 2018, the riders were told in the meeting at Hammond Public Library. Riders complained about packed trains and late trains, among other issues. 'On top of doing away with the BOGO, you're increasing the fare,' one rider said. The buy one month, get one free promotion was begun as a way to boost ridership when the COVID-19 pandemic caused ridership to tank, Director of Strategic Planning and Grants Kelly Wenger said. One of the riders said she boards the train at Hammond and disembarks at 57th Street in Chicago. 'I'm barely on the train 20 minutes,' she said, but the new fare would be $203 a month. 'That's a lot of money just to go from Hammond to 57th Street,' she said. Even with parking, a monthly ticket from Metra would be cheaper, she said. Allen Hammond, NICTD's grant developer and administrator specialist, said Metra owns the stations the South Shore uses in Illinois and determines the fares on that side of the state line. 'You have a monthly fare, but in all reality, you also have specialized fares' with Metra, Hammond said. Metra riders can buy a ticket for an entire day, and it's a flat fee. 'That one fare basically pays it all.' The South Shore has fares for one way, 10 or 25 rides, or monthly. Reduced-price fares are available for senior citizens, active duty military, children under 13, and riders with disabilities. In addition, up to three children 13 and under can ride free when accompanied by a parent on weekend, holiday and off-peak weekday trains. For a rider boarding at Portage/Ogden Dunes or Dune Park, the one-way fare to Millennium Park would rise to $10 each way, a $1 increase, with the reduced rate at $5, a 50-cent increase. A monthly ticket would be $277. Hammond noted that unlike the South Shore, which hasn't raised fares in seven years, Metra does so every year. That's why the 10% fare increase seems so high, he said. NICTD General Manager and President Michael Noland has told the railroad's board that fares should be raised more frequently, at smaller increments, to keep up with increased operating costs. 'Basically, the fare increase is strictly for operations,' Hammond told the riders Thursday. 'We have salaries and stuff of that nature that has to be paid.' Recent and ongoing construction projects aren't a factor, he said. The railroad, state and federal government have been pouring money into capital improvements, starting with adding a second track between Gary and Michigan City to speed trains and add capacity. The Monon Corridor expansion is set to begin operating from Dyer to Chicago later this year. A third major construction project, at about $250 million, will add a fourth track to ease the bottleneck on Metra's system. NICTD will gain a dedicated platform at the 57th Street station for South Shore passengers as part of that project. One rider who boards at East Chicago said her train is late every day. Wenger said the railroad's on-time performance has improved dramatically. Another rider complained of crowded trains. 'Coming home in the evening, when I get on at 57th Street, we're packed in like sardines,' she said. 'Sometimes I've gotten on the train in the evening, and it's two cars, and we're all packed in there.' Hammond promised to pass those observations along to the railroad folks who determine how rail cars are deployed to make sure they're aware of that situation. Wenger said the railroad has received roughly the same number of in-person comments as 2018 when the last fare increase was approved. There are more emails now, but that could be attributed to the South Shore offering more virtual options to riders since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she said. At NICTD meetings earlier this year, Noland said the railroad's rainy day fund had run dry. The Indiana General Assembly agreed to give the railroad $40 million over the next two years to help keep the trains running through 2027. 'This was a pretty tough session from a budget standpoint because of the fiscal forecast,' Noland said Tuesday night. 'Everybody understood there was going to be a need to do something,' he said, so legislators agreed to give a two-year aid package. By 2027, the railroad will have been operating two years along the new Monon Corridor route as well as the expanded service along the traditional Lakeshore Corridor, giving better ridership and fare revenue numbers. 'Hopefully, by that time the economy will be red hot,' Noland said. The proposed 10% fare increase showed legislators that passengers would help, too. 'We're seeing month-over-month ridership increases,' Noland said. Public comments on the proposed fare increase are still invited by email, at comments@ until Monday.
