Construction is moving forward on one of the largest public transit investments in Indiana’s history – double tracking of the South Shore Line from Michigan City to Gary. Ground was officially broken on Monday, June 20, in Michigan City.
This project adds nearly 18 miles of new track over a 26-mile corridor along the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s existing South Shore Line between Gary and Michigan City and makes multiple improvements to the existing line.
The project will include replacing the current street-running tracks on 10th and 11th Streets, a new overhead contact system, 22 at-grade crossings, 20 culverts, platform upgrades at five stations and more than 1,400 parking spaces. The project will increase train frequency and drastically reduce travel time on the South Shore Line. Once the project is complete, service is planned to operate every 16 minutes during weekday peak periods and approximately every 75 minutes during weekday off-peak periods and evenings.
Construction is expected to finish in early 2024 with passenger service starting later in the year.
In addition to the Double Track project, Gov. Holcomb has made the West Lake Corridor extension of the South Shore Line a Next Level Agenda priority. Combined, the Double Track and West Lake Corridor projects are projected to attract approximately $2.7 billion in private investment to Northwest Indiana, and result in over 6,000 new jobs and $5 billion in economic impact by 2048.
