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[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 10/10:

Big changes planned for commuter rail in Michigan City

 

 

 

MICHIGAN CITY — Plans to get South Shore Line tracks out of the streets of this city and to cut the commute to Chicago by more than half an hour were outlined Thursday night in front of about 100 people.

 

The trip to Chicago’s Loop on the South Shore commuter train currently takes about an hour and 40 minutes and boosters of the plan say cutting it to as little as one hour is one key to making Michigan City more prosperous.

 

The commute time would be cut by turning the mostly one-track route between Gary and Michigan City into a double track as part of the $210 million Double Track NWI project.

 

‘’It is time to make this investment,’’ said U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, during a program Thursday night hosted by South Shore operator Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District at Michigan City City Hall.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Post Tribune by Chicago Tribune, 11/18:
 

NICTD chief sees chance for allies in new administration

 

The incoming Trump administration could favor the South Shore Line's plans to expand and improve its service, the railroad's president said Friday.

 

President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to improve the nation's infrastructure, South Shore President Michael Noland noted.

 

"Well, here's an infrastructure project," Noland told the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District board. "I can't think of a better way to coordinate infrastructure and good-paying jobs. We're going to try to leverage that."

 

The success of both major South Shore projects – extending new tracks from Hammond to Dyer along the West Lake corridor, and a building second set of tracks between Gary and Michigan City – will depend heavily on federal funding.

 

Noland said he's optimistic also Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the Indiana governor, knows of the South Shore's plans.

 

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Cross-posted in "NICTD: Proposed extension to Dyer aka The West Lake Corridor project"

[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 1/21:

DOUG ROSS: Rail expansion will be boon to NWI

 

 

One of the most common arguments I hear against extending commuter rail service in Northwest Indiana is that if it hasn’t helped the northern tier communities along the existing route, so it won’t help those along the new route. I can’t disagree more with this reasoning.

 

Northwest Indiana is something of an anomaly when it comes to commuter rail service. All it takes to see this is to look at the entire Chicago metro area, not just our sliver of it.

 

The rail lines in Illinois snake out into thriving suburbs. Take a trip to Naperville if you want a good example of what can come from investing in commuter rail service. Naperville is about 30 miles from Chicago.

 

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[CNJRoss]

South Bend (IN) Tribune, 2/15:

Our Opinion: Double track the right track for South Shore

 

 

It’s early days, but the effort to make the already-terrific South Shore Railroad even better is on the right track.

 

A double track.

 

SNIP

 

The prospects are exciting indeed for the South Shore, a survivor of what was once a vast complex of interurban electric trains. Taking this convenient, economical train line to the next level is an idea whose time, it appears, has finally come. And really, who couldn’t get on board?

 

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[CNJRoss]

The News-Dispatch, Michigan City, IN 3/16:

NICTD provides update on double track

 

 

MICHIGAN CITY — Plans for the double track South Shore Line are being mapped and organized as NICTD speaks to the public, including members of the La Porte County League of Women Voters.

 

Nicole Barker, director of capital investment and implementation of NICTD, spoke to the group at Patrick’s Grill on Tuesday afternoon and answered questions to the scope of the $290 million dollar project. The South Shore Line began operating 104 years ago with 90 miles of commuter railroad between downtown Chicago and the South Bend airport, serving four counties in the region. 

 

“(The project is) pretty simple. It’s laying down a second track next to the tracks we already have,” Barker said. “It’s very rare, especially for an urban area like we have here, to be operating on a single track and I think this new track will help us move to the future and help attract new residents.”

 

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[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 3/29:

EDITORIAL: Commuter rail builds firm foundation for growth

 

 

Northwest Indiana stands to benefit greatly from twin commuter rail projects planned for the Region.

 

The West Lake Corridor project will extend commuter rail service beyond the existing east-west route for the first time in more than a century.

 

The double-tracking project will speed and improve service along the existing route, making the commute by train quicker and more pleasant.

 

But that's not the only benefit of these projects. There's a redevelopment aspect that holds immense promise for communities along the rail lines.

 

SNIP

 

We need these projects to lay a firm foundation for economic growth, and an improved quality of life, in the Region.

 

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Cross-posted in:  NICTD: Proposed extension to Dyer aka The West Lake Corridor project

[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 4/25:

Holcomb will sign funding for South Shore double-tracking project

 

 

INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Eric Holcomb is eager to sign legislation funding the double-tracking of the South Shore Line between Gary and Michigan City.

 

The Republican said Tuesday that he considers the $180 million Indiana will spend over the next 30 years to expand commuter rail service in the Region to be a vital investment in the state's future, as well as a top accomplishment of the 2017 General Assembly that adjourned Saturday.

 

"This is not just about economic development, but equally importantly it's also about attracting talent from the nation's third biggest economy in Chicago and getting folks to move to this side of the border," Holcomb said.

 

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[CNJRoss]

South Bend  (IN) Tribune, 6/21/17:

From The Chamber: Reduced South Shore travel time will more closely link South Bend, Chicago

Track project poses economic gains for area

 

By Jeff Rea

 

 

 

SOUTH BEND — Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, and more than 10 million people live in the Chicagoland metropolitan area. Another 76 million people visit the area each year.

 

SNIP

 

The ease of connecting has become an important driver to our local economy, especially as our region seeks to attract top talent. A study of communities north and west of Chicago show that those within a 90-minute train ride have seen record growth and new capital investment. The current ride to South Bend, though a convenient connection, exceeds two hours in duration.

 

SNIP

 

Two projects are critical to meeting the 90-minute goal: construct a new 16-mile track between Gary and Michigan City to make sure two tracks run the full route between South Bend and Chicago; and relocate the station at the South Bend International Airport from the east side to the west side. 

 

 

Jeff Rea is president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

 

[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 7/30/17:

South Shore officials remain optimistic about federal funding

 

 

The appropriations committees of both houses of the U.S. Congress produced 2018 transportation budgets in July that left South Shore Line officials optimistic about funding for the West Lake Corridor and Double Track NWI projects.

 

The South Shore is counting on funds from the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant program to pay half the design and construction costs of the $615 million West Lake extension and the $290 million Double Track upgrade.

 

"The Capital Investment Grant programs have tremendous bipartisan support in Congress," South Shore President Michael Noland said at Friday's meeting of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's board.

 

The Senate committee's bill, in particular, offered railroad officials hope that President Donald Trump's effort to discontinue transit grants would not be successful.

 

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Cross posted in NICTD: Proposed extension to Dyer aka The West Lake Corridor project

[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 10/12/17:

Positive feelings, but questions about second South Shore track

 

 

MICHIGAN CITY – As area resident Ed Merrion noted, “It’s progress. At some point, you have to do it.”

 

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District accepted comments Thursday on the proposed South Shore Line 25-mile double track of rail line between Gary and Michigan City. South Shore currently operates mostly on a single track that it shares with freight rail.

 

Mike Noland, South Shore Line president, said the project would remove a 25-mile “bottleneck” between Gary and Michigan City.

 

“This will give us more express service and more trains,” Noland said. “We’ll reduce travel time and have better on-time performance. In 20 years, we’ll double our ridership.”

 

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