Double tracking of the South Shore Rail Line is now underway.
Governor Eric Holcomb hammered in the first ceremonial golden railroad spike to start constructions on the second line of railroad tracks along the South Shore line, which connects many northern Indiana cities and towns to Chicago.
Mark Noland with the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District tells Inside Indiana Business that the project will unlock more economic resources for northern Indiana to tap into for growth from Chicago, which is ranked the eighth largest city economy in the world.
“It is really a game changing event,” Noland said to Inside Indiana Business. “Making it easier for people to come to and from Chicago, get the higher paying jobs, come back to northwest Indiana, spend the money in our little slice of heaven.”
Noland added that because of the project, many businesses are already looking into the region as a spot for new development. He said the investment could mean billions for the state down the road.
The project will build a parallel line of railroad tracks along already existing tracks, which experts say will allow more trains to travel to and from Chicago to places like Dyer, Gary, Hammond, LaPorte, And South Bend.
