New Carlisle station (South Shore Line) explained

Style:NICTD
New Carlisle
Address:Arch Street and Zigler Street, New Carlisle, Indiana 46552
Coordinates:41.7083°N -86.5081°W
Tracks:2
Opened:circa 1908
Closed:July 5, 1994
Owned:NICTD
Zone:10
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail
Marker-Color:
  1. 888
Zoom:15

New Carlisle was a South Shore Line flag stop located at the corner of Arch and Zigler Streets in New Carlisle, Indiana. The station opened circa 1908[1] and was built by the Chicago, South Bend and Northern Indiana Railway whose line was immediately north of the South Shore Line. Both lines used the station[2] until the Northern Indiana Railway abandoned its South Bend–Michigan City line leaving the South Shore as the sole occupant. The station remained in service on the South Shore Line until July 5, 1994, when it was closed as part of an NICTD service revision which also saw the closure of Ambridge, Kemil Road, Willard Avenue, LaLumiere, and Rolling Prairie.[3]

Future

In 2018, a study was commissioned by the St. Joseph County Redevelopment Commission to look at the possibility of constructing a new station in New Carlisle.[4] [5] [6] The study was conducted by the South Bend engineering firm Antero Group. The study's $100,000 cost was shared by St. Joseph County and NICTD.[5] [7] At the time the study was commissioned, two possible locations were being considered, one on the eastern edge of New Carlisle's "downtown", and another in Olive Township to the east of town.[5]

By January 2019, St. Joseph County began eying land occupied by a mobile home park as a potential station location. The land is located on Michigan Street in the eastern side of New Carlisle, near the city's American Legion post and on the northern side of the South Shore Line tracks.[8] [9] A 2–1 vote by the St. Joseph County Board of approved $8,300 in contracts for the two parcels occupied by the mobile home park to be appraised by firms.[8] By January 2020, it was announced that St. Joseph County was purchasing the 2.67 acre pair of parcels occupied by the now-vacant mobile home park for more than $400,000, with the stated prospect of locating a future South Shore Line station there.[9] By July 2020, the county began leveling the structures on the site. There is a possibility, however, that the land might be used for a purpose other than housing a South Shore Line station.[10]

A station in New Carlisle would likely supplant the existing Hudson Lake station.[5] [11]

The plans to build a station in New Carlisle are related to a proposed industrial complex that would be situated to the east of New Carlisle, and which has attracted controversy.[11] The plans for a new station are also intended to attract businesses to the area.[5]

The representative of the NICTD board stated in July 2020 that a new station in New Carlisle could take five or more years to materialize, if ultimately pursued at all.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Electric Railways of Indiana. 1960. Central Electric Railfans' Association. Chicago, Illinois. I-63.
  2. Book: Ogorek. Cynthia. Along the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Rail Line. Arcadia Publishing. 978-0738594194. 61.
  3. News: Dodson. Paul. South Shore Railroad Will Close 7 Flagstops. South Bend Tribune. June 17, 1994. South Bend, IN. B2.
  4. Web site: Kather . Esther . New Carlisle looking into building South Shore train station . ABC57 . WBND-LD . 27 November 2020 . en . 31 July 2018.
  5. Web site: $100,000 study underway to consider launching New Carlisle train station . South Bend Tribune . 10 April 2019 . 2 November 2018.
  6. Web site: Officials consider train station along South Shore Line in New Carlisle . WSBT . 27 November 2020 . 2 November 2018.
  7. Web site: Peterson . Mark . New Carlisle eyed for new South Shore station . WNDU . 8 December 2020 . en . 7 August 2020.
  8. Web site: Booker . Ted . St. Joseph County eyes spot for New Carlisle train station. Mobiles homes are in the way. . South Bend Tribune . 26 November 2020 . en . 20 January 2020.
  9. Web site: Bauer . Caleb . A future South Shore station in New Carlisle? . South Bend Tribune . 12 November 2020 . en . 22 January 2020.
  10. Web site: Finke . Erica . Abandoned mobile home park in New Carlisle could soon be repurposed . WSBT . 22 November 2022 . en . 24 July 2020.
  11. Web site: Spalding . Mary Beth . Options open for New Carlisle site as county clears old trailers . South Bend Tribune . 12 November 2020 . en . 24 July 2020.