South Shore Line Explained

South Shore Line
Image Alt:Silver single-level electric passenger train passing through grassand
Type:Commuter rail, Interurban
Locale:Chicago, Illinois to South Bend, Indiana
Start:Millennium Station
End:South Bend Airport
Stations:19
Routes:1
Daily Ridership:
Ridership2:
Open:1903
Operator:Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
Linelength:90miles

The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Indiana, United States. The name refers to both the physical line and the service operated over that route. The line was built in 1901–1908 by predecessors of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, which continues to operate freight service. Passenger operation was assumed by the NICTD in 1989, who also purchased the track in 1990. The South Shore Line is one of the last surviving interurban trains in the United States. In, the system had a ridership of, or about per weekday as of .

Route

Departing South Bend Airport, the South Shore Line heads south alongside Bendix Drive, then west along Westmoor Street, before connecting with the tracks that ran to its former terminus. Between that point and Hudson Lake, Indiana, the South Shore Line runs parallel to Norfolk Southern's Chicago Rail Line, also used by Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited, on the north side of the tracks. Just before Hudson Lake, the line crosses from St. Joseph County into LaPorte County and enters the Central Time Zone.

From Hudson Lake, the South Shore continues straight west to Michigan City. In Michigan City, the track runs down the middle of 11th street from Michigan Boulevard to Tennessee Street, where it crosses over to Tenth Street, and has an at-grade diamond with Amtrak's Michigan Services. The track then runs down Tenth Street to Sheridan Avenue on the westside of Michigan City. Leaving Michigan City, the track travels through Indiana Dunes State Park, crosses over the Chicago Line and runs parallel to it, this time on the south side, past Long Lake. At Gary, Indiana, the route heads west to service the Gary Airport, at times running parallel to the Indiana Toll Road, as far as Hammond, Indiana. Just west of the Hammond station, the route crosses into Illinois and Chicago city limits, at which point the track curves northwest, through the Hegewisch neighborhood and, after crossing the Bishop Ford Freeway and the Calumet River, converges with the Metra Electric line south of Kensington/115th Street station. The South Shore Line then runs over the Metra Electric from Kensington/115th Street the rest of the way to Millennium Station.

The line is quadruple tracked along the section shared with the Metra Electric line from Millennium Station to Kensington/115th Street, double-tracked from Kensington/115th Street to the yard at Michigan City, and single-tracked from there to South Bend Airport.

Service

The most recent service update was in May 14, 2024, when NICTD published an updated timetable following the conclusion of the double-tracking project between Gary and Michigan City.[1]

Weekday schedule

In the westbound direction, 26 trains terminate at Millennium Station. Six of these trips run the whole length of the line from South Bend Airport, while all other trips originate at other stops in Michigan City and Gary (7 trains from Carroll Avenue, 5 trains from 11th Street, and 8 trains from Miller). Some trips are "express" and do not make certain station stops. While mainly concentrated in the morning peak, some trips in the afternoon are also express.

In the eastbound direction, 27 trains originate at Millennium Station. Six trains continue all the way to South Bend Airport, while 6 trains terminate at Miller and the remainder terminate at Carroll Avenue.

In addition to service at Millennium Station, there are three trains that run only between Carroll Avenue and South Bend Airport, with eastbound service in the morning and westbound service in the evening.

Weekend and holiday schedule

On weekends and holidays, there are nine trains to and from Millennium Station. Five of these trains originate and terminate in South Bend, while four only go as far as Carroll Avenue.

In the eastbound direction, there are two early morning trains between Carroll Avenue and South Bend, but no corresponding westbound trains.[2]

History

Private operation

The South Shore Line was constructed between 1901 and 1908 by the Chicago and Indiana Air Line Railway (reorganized as the Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend Railway [CLS&SB] in 1904). Revenue service between Michigan City and South Bend began on July 1, 1908. The CLS&SB leased the Kensington and Eastern Railroad on April 4, 1909, giving it access to Chicago. That year the full line to Kensington on the Illinois Central was completed, and beginning on June 2, 1912, the electric cars were coupled to IC steam locomotives and run to downtown Chicago.[3]

The Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend entered bankruptcy in 1925 and was bought by Samuel Insull's Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB). The line continued to handle both freight and passengers. Under Insull, the CSS&SB embarked on a major rehabilitation program. This included new ballast and ties, 100lb rail in place of 70lb rail, brush clearance, and an overhaul of the line's block signals. In 1949, the company acquired three Little Joe electric locomotives for freight service. These locomotives had originally been constructed for the Soviet Union, but changing attitudes due to the Cold War prevented them from being delivered. Although the exact same type as the Milwaukee Joes, the South Shore bought them before the Milwaukee did. These locomotives continued in freight service on the CSS&SB until 1983. No. 803, is preserved in operating condition at the Illinois Railway Museum.

The power system was changed from 6600 volts AC to 1500 volts DC on July 28, 1926, allowing trains to operate directly to the Illinois Central Railroad's Randolph Street Terminal (now Millennium Station) without an engine change. Trains began running to Randolph Street on August 29. That same year, the original line between East Chicago and Indiana Harbor was abandoned.

The Chicago South Shore and South Bend turned a profit during World War II due to the industrial nature of Northern Indiana. However, highway competition and suburban growth led to ridership declines. By the 1950s all interurban lines were seeing a decline in rail travel as automobile use increased.[4] On September 16, 1956, a street running section in East Chicago was removed with the building of a new alignment alongside the Indiana Toll Road. A truncation to west of downtown South Bend removed street trackage in that city from July 1, 1970.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway acquired the CSS&SB on January 3, 1967 and continued the operation of passenger services.[5] The Chicago South Shore and South Bend was one of six railroads with long-distance passenger services to decline joining Amtrak in 1971 and in 1976, they asked the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to abandon passenger service. The ICC gave the state of Indiana a chance to reply and subsequently, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) was formed in 1977 to subsidize service.

Public operation

In the late 1980s, the Chicago South Shore and South Bend went bankrupt and on December 29, 1989, passenger service was assumed by NICTD.[6] In December 1990, the track was sold to NICTD and freight service was taken over by the new Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, a subsidiary of short line operator Anacostia & Pacific. On November 21, 1992, the line's South Bend terminus moved from the Amtrak station to the airport.[7] On July 5, 1994, NICTD closed the Ambridge, Kemil Road, Willard Avenue, LaLumiere, Rolling Prairie, and New Carlisle flag stops. A seventh station, Dune Acres, closed around the same time once parking was expanded at nearby Dune Park.[8] The railroad began a 3-year project in 2009 to replace all catenary on its line between Michigan City and Gary, some of which was nearly 90 years old. The project cost $18 million and caused service disruptions on weekends while new wires were strung.[9]

The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), replaced a bridge on the South Shore Line across 130th Street, Torrence Avenue, and Norfolk Southern tracks in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago as a part of a four-year project lasting from 2011 to 2015.[10] [11] The 2,350 ton bridge would be put in place in August 2012.[12]

In 2015 NICTD began an express service between South Bend and Chicago. Targeted at business travelers, the train makes just two intermediate stops: Dune Park and East Chicago. The total scheduled travel time is 1 hour 55 minutes, more than thirty minutes faster than existing services.[13]

In July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, NICTD implemented "mask optional cars" for riders choosing not to wear masks, as Indiana did not have a statewide mask mandate.[14] This received a controversial reception at the time, as it was alleged at the time to not help slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease, and the "mask optional" car was also the only car with bike racks.[15] [16] On November 14, 2020, the "mask optional cars" were discontinued, requiring all passengers to wear a mask.[17] [18]

Rolling stock

Current

Service:1982–present
Manufacturer:Nippon Sharyo
Yearconstruction:1982–1983, 1992, 2001
Numberbuilt:68
Formation:Married-pair
Fleetnumbers:1–48, 201–210, 101–110
Capacity:93[19]
Operator:CSS&SB, NICTD
Lines:South Shore Line
Carbody:stainless steel
Carlength:852NaN2
Width:10feet
Height:15feet
Wheeldiameter:360NaN0
Wheelbase:8feet
Maxspeed:79mph
Weight:118000lbs (empty)
Traction:IGBT-VVVF (Toshiba)[20]
Hvac:Electric heating, Air conditioning
Collectionmethod:Pantograph
Traction Motors:3-phase AC induction motor (Toshiba)
Uicclass:Bo’Bo’+Bo’Bo’
Aarwheels:B-B+B-B
Bogies:ND-312
Coupling:Tomlinson

The South Shore Line operates with a fleet of 82 rail cars built between 1982 and 2009 by Nippon Sharyo. The fleet consists of 58 single-level self-propelled cars, 10 single-level unpowered trailers, and 14 bilevel self-propelled cars.[21] The single level fleet's design shares commonalities with MARC's locomotive-hauled MARC II fleet, which were also built by Nippon Sharyo.[22] An additional 26 cars are planned to be acquired, replacing those to be transferred to West Lake Corridor services.[23] Several Highliner 2s from Metra Electric have already been acquired. [24]

NumbersModelBuiltBuildernotes
1–48Single-level electric multiple unit1982–83, 1992Nippon Sharyo
201–210Trailer1992
101–110Single-level electric multiple unit2001
301–314Highliner II2009
1201-1226 Highliner II2005-2006Ex Metra Electric

Retired

Pullman and the Standard Steel Car Company delivered electric multiple units to the CSS&SB between 1926 and 1929. Many were lengthened in the 1940s and 1950s.[25]

NumbersModelBuiltBuilderNotes
1–1162-seat coach1908NilesTwo cars scrapped prior to 1923; the remainder scrapped in 1929
12–15Built as trailers. Rebuilt in 1915 with motors. Baggage compartments added in 1925. Scrapped in summer of 1929.
60–6148-seat suburban carKuhlman60 wrecked prior to 1918. 61 scrapped in 1927
62–631903BrillOriginally Chicago and Indiana Air Line Railway cars 1 and 2
641918KuhlmanBuilt as a replacement for car 60
70–7154-seat coach1908Niles71 rebuilt as CSS&SB 401 in 1927. 70 used as a yard office and scrapped in 1935.
72–7446-seat combineRebuilt with larger baggage compartments. 72 rebuilt to line car 1101 in 1927. 73 Rebuilt to work motor 1126 in 1927. 74 used as trainmen's room at South Bend and scrapped in 1941.
75–7754-seat coachScrapped in summer of 1929
101–11052-seat coachKuhlmanTwo cars rebuilt into CSS&SB 222 and 224 in 1927. The remainder were scrapped in 1929.
111–11260-seat open vestibule carTBDTBDPurchased in 1917. Formerly AT&SF cars.
113–11456-seat open vestibule carTBDTBD
1–1056-seat coach smoker1926Pullman
11–1580-seat coachLengthened in 1942–46
16–251927Lengthened in 1945–47
26–291929Standard SteelLengthened in 1948
30–37; 3948-seat coach smoker
3856-seat coach
4048-seat coach smoker1938Rebuilt from trailer no. 213
100–10964–68 seat coach–baggage1926PullmanLengthened in 1943–44 and modernized in 1949–50
110–11164-seat coach–baggage1951Standard SteelRebuilt from coaches nos. 10 and 29
201–20680-seat coach trailer1927PullmanLengthened in 1946–48
207–21050-seat coach smoker trailer
211–2121929
351–35216-seat parlor–observation–buffet trailer1927Originally 20 fixed chairs; rebuilt with 16 rotating chairs in 1929; rebuilt as coaches in 1942
353–35456-seat coach trailer1938–39Standard SteelRebuilt from parlors built in 1929

Fare policies

The South Shore Line uses a zone-based fare system, with prices based on the distance traveled and stations' proximity to Millennium Station. There are a total of eleven zones (1–11). Tickets may be purchased at stations, online, and through the South Shore mobile app. Ticket options include one-way, 10-ride, 25-ride, and monthly passes. One-way tickets may also be purchased on trains, but will incur a $1.00 penalty fee if a ticket agent was present at the departure station. Children aged 13 years and under, seniors aged 65 and over, passengers with disabilities, students, active-duty military personnel, and those holding RTA Reduced Fare Permits are eligible for reduced fares. NICTD accepts cash aboard trains, cash and checks at ticket offices, and credit cards online and at Millennium Station's ticket office. Most stations have ticket machines which only accept credit cards.[26] For travel to Hegewisch station (zone 3), fares are set by Metra.[27]

Expansions and realignments under construction

Michigan City realignment

Since 2005, there has been an ongoing debate pertaining to plans to relocate trackage off the streets of Michigan City.[28] In July 2009, NICTD announced its intention to relocate the Michigan City track south of its current location in order to smooth out the curves, cut down the number of grade crossings, increase speed and reduce maintenance costs.[29] The plan also calls for the replacement of both current stations with a single new station located a block west of the current 11th Street boarding location (between Franklin and Washington streets) with a modern, high-level platform and parking lot. The plan would require a demolition of residential and retail buildings currently located on the south side of 11th Street.[30]

The relocation effort faced a setback in March 2010 when NICTD announced that it was short necessary funds to complete the preliminary engineering study. Unless the funding was found, the relocation would have been postponed indefinitely since, without the engineering study, NICTD would not be able to get state and federal funds necessary to complete the relocation.[31] NICTD and the city continued to work on obtaining the funds needed.[32] In 2011 NICTD accepted bids for a $1 million study, expected to take 18 months.[33] The study was completed in October 2013. The preferred alternative identified by the study preserved an alignment similar to the current route but relocated the tracks alongside the street. It proposed replacing the two existing stations with a new station near the center of Michigan City.[34] The realignment was completed as a part of the double track project from Gary to Michigan City.[35]

Street running ended on February 27, 2022, and buses replaced trains within this section prior to the opening of the new alignment.[36] [37] Service between Dune Park and Carroll Avenue resumed on October 25, 2023.[38] Service on the remaining closed section between Gary and Dune Park restarted on April 9, 2024, with a new schedule taking advantage of the double track planned to start on May 14.[39]

West Lake Corridor

See main article: West Lake Corridor. NICTD planned to apply for federal funding for a preliminary engineering study and environmental survey of a Hammond-to-Lowell leg in 2009., that leg had a projected price tag of $551 million.[40], the cost has increased to $665 million. NICTD was awarded funding in the spring of 2020 and the line broke ground in October 2020.[41] The project is estimated to open to revenue service in May 2025.[42] [43]

The new line will run through Munster to Dyer, with a possible later extension to St. John, and trains will run as shuttles between Hammond and Dyer during off-peak hours.[44] The alignment of the new branch leaves the old CSS&SB main immediately before the current Hammond station. Hence, the NICTD has decided to build a new station in Hammond to serve both branches.[45]

Proposed expansions and realignments

Valparaiso branch

At a legislative hearing in October 2008, NICTD officials said they would drop further study of a Munster-to-Valparaiso route, and begin study of a Gary–Valparaiso route. At the hearing, NICTD officials said the projected cost of $673 million for the Munster-to-Valparaiso route as well as low projected ridership would have made it ineligible for federal funding and opted to study the Gary-to-Valparaiso route instead.[46] The Gary-to-Valparaiso route would utilize the partially abandoned former Pennsylvania Railroad line. NICTD officials contend the shorter length of a Gary-to-Valparaiso run and the chance to use existing tracks there may make it a lower-cost alternative to the Munster-to-Valparaiso route.

Extension to Elkhart

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was some discussion about the possibility of extending the line from South Bend east to Elkhart County, Indiana.[47] [48] In 1988, Elkhart, Indiana Mayor James Perron pushed for the government to look into making long-term plans for an extension into his city.[49]

Proposed new stations

There are proposals to replace the South Bend terminus with a new station.

There is a proposal to reestablish a station in New Carlisle.[50]

Station listing

The line operates over the tracks of the Metra Electric Line from Millennium Station to Kensington-115th Street. Metra owns the track in this territory. Per a long-standing non-compete clause with Metra, outbound South Shore Line trains to Indiana only stop at Metra Electric stations to receive passengers; inbound trains to Millennium Station only stop at Metra Electric stations to discharge passengers.

South Shore Line trains make the following station stops:[51]

State! scope="col"
Fare
zone
LocationStationMile (km)[52] Avg. weekday
ridership (2019)
Connections and notes
IL1Chicago0miles4,227 Metra:
CTA Bus: 4, X4, 6, 19, 20, 26, 60, N66, 124, 143, 147, 148, 151, 157
Chicago "L": (at), (at)
Pace Bus: 855 Plainfield–East Loop Express
VALPOtransit: ChicaGo Dash
0.8miles977 Metra:
CTA Bus: 1, 3, 4, X4, 6, 7, J14, 26, 28, 126, 130, 147, 148, 151
1.4miles166 Metra:
CTA Bus: 1, 3, 4, X4, 12, 130, 146
(weekend)2.7miles0 Metra:
CTA Bus: 3 King Drive, 21 Cermak
53rd Street6.5milesSouth Shore service withdrawn October 16, 1966, replaced by 57th Street
27miles271 Metra:
CTA Bus: 15 Jeffery Local, 28 Stony Island, 55 Garfield, 171 U of Chicago/Hyde Park
7.9miles3 Metra:
CTA Bus: 63 63rd
14.5milesSouth Shore service withdrawn February 15, 2012
319miles862 CTA Bus: 30 South Chicago
Pace: 358 Torrence, 364 159th Street
IN4Hammond20.9miles1,345
East Chicago23.4miles1,493 East Chicago Transit: E1 Griffith Plaza, E2 Crosstown, E3 West Calumet
GPTC: R1 Lakeshore Connection
5Gary28miles80 GPTC: R1 Lakeshore Connection
Ambridge29.2milesClosed July 5, 1994
30.9miles426 GPTC: R1, R3, BMX, L1, L2, L3, L5
34.7miles339 GPTC: L2 Oak/County Line Rd
6Ogden Dunes38.9miles237
Dune Acres44.7milesClosed 1994
Porter46miles474 V-Line: Orange Line
Porter County47milesClosed June 2, 1986, replaced with Dune Park
7Closed July 5, 1994
Beverly Shores50.4miles47
8Michigan CityClosed July 5, 1994
55.8miles102
57.5miles172 Michigan City Transit: 3
9SmithClosed July 5, 1994
10Rolling Prairie
Hudson Lake74.6miles1
New Carlisle76.3milesClosed July 5, 1994
11South Bend90.1miles227 Transpo: 4 Lincolnway/Airport
Greyhound Lines
Coach USA
South BendCurrent Amtrak station, South Shore service withdrawn November 21, 1992
South BendClosed 1970, located in downtown South Bend

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: South Shore Line announces implementation of new Double Track train schedule . South Shore Line . 5 July 2024.
  2. Web site: Schedule . South Shore Line . 6 July 2024.
  3. Web site: Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (NICTD) . . southshore.railfan.net .
  4. Economic Adjustment Study: Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad Corridor, Final Report; Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District,; March 1980; pg 1
  5. News: . South Shore Line Switch Approved. Chicago Tribune. December 23, 1966. 2 Section 10.
  6. Web site: Annual Report . 15 . Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District . December 31, 2010 . January 31, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170203005812/http://www.in.gov/itp/annual_reports/2010/special-districts/porter/PorterCountyNorthernIndianaCommuterTransportationDistrict2010FinalAuditReportLONGFS.pdf . February 3, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
  7. News: New train terminal could have folks heading east, young . . November 21, 1992 . February 15, 2015 . Wieland, Phil.
  8. News: June 17, 1994 . Dodson, Paul . South Shore Railroad Will Close 7 Flagstops . . B2. There was a train station on the Chain Lakes, near Lydick Indiana. The South Shore had discontinued the stop in 1936 and was later destroyed by fire. The station was located near the Chain-O-Lakes Conservation Club. During that time, in the mid-1930s the Northern Indiana Railroad, and the New York Central made stops in Lydick. The New York Central stopped making stops when it was absorbed into Penn Central in 1968. The Northern Indiana Railroad, however, abandoned the service in 1934. The entire Northern Indiana Railroad was abandoned in 1940 leaving only the South Shore, the last interurban railroad in the United States.
  9. Web site: NICTD Board Meeting Minutes July 31, 2009. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. September 11, 2010. July 31, 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110714182253/http://www.nictd.com/minutes/Jul312009.pdf. July 14, 2011. mdy-all.
  10. News: Major grade separation underway in Chicago, Illinois Gov. Quinn says. Progressive Railroading. August 24, 2011. November 8, 2020.
  11. Web site: GS15a 130th & Torrence & Norfolk Southern Grade Separation. CREATE. July 2015. November 5, 2020. January 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210118014902/http://www.createprogram.org/factsheets/GS15a.pdf. dead.
  12. News: Bridge weighing 2,350 tons put in place for South Shore . Lach. Jeanette. The Times. August 25, 2012. November 5, 2020.
  13. News: Chicago express a major step for South Shore . . February 3, 2015 . February 15, 2015 . Allen, Kevin.
  14. Web site: November 19, 2020 . Commuter Rail's Mask-Optional 'Dumb Car' Emblematic of U.S.'s COVID-19 Response . 25 November 2020 . www.vice.com . en.
  15. Web site: "It's foolish": Experts say South Shore's Mask Optional Car could cause super-spreader event . Streetsblog Chicago . 9 October 2020.
  16. News: Idiocy or genius? The South Shore Line tries quarantining anti-maskers in a separate car . Streetsblog Chicago . 23 September 2020.
  17. Web site: Digest: South Shore ends 'mask optional' cars Trains Magazine . TrainsMag.com . en.
  18. Web site: Mask Announcement Update – 7/27/2020 . www.mysouthshoreline.com . en-gb.
  19. Web site: Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) for NICTD. July 23, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170722125953/http://www.nipponsharyousa.com/products/pages/zchicago.htm. July 22, 2017. dead. mdy-all.
  20. Web site: History Railway Systems Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation Transportation System History List. Toshiba. 2021-08-20.
  21. Web site: 2013 Indiana Public Transit Annual Report . . August 2014 . February 15, 2015 . 111.
  22. Web site: Nippon Sharyo USA Product History. July 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170626054605/http://www.nipponsharyousa.com/products_history.html. June 26, 2017. dead. mdy-all.
  23. News: Andrew Steele . Andrew Steele . NICTD to begin search for rail car manufacturer . 8 November 2020 . The Times Of Northwest Indiana . 2 December 2018.
  24. Web site:
  25. Book: Railway Passenger Car Annual, Volume I, 1973–1974 . RPC Publications . Randall, W. David . 1974 . Park Forest, IL . 74–75.
  26. Web site: Purchase Tickets . South Shore Line . 10 August 2020.
  27. Web site: SSL Board Approves Fare Increase Effective July 1, 2018 . South Shore Line . 10 August 2020.
  28. News: Maddux . Stan . Michigan City weighs South Shore track route . Post-Tribune . February 14, 2008 . February 18, 2008 .
  29. Web site: South Shore re-route map . October 28, 2009 . February 19, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120219080152/http://emichigancity.com/pdf/South-Shore-Reroute-Map.pdf . dead .
  30. News: More South Shore details released . Wink, Laurie . . . June 9, 2009 . https://archive.today/20090730011637/http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=23822&TM=39824.82 . dead . July 30, 2009 . August 22, 2009 . mdy-all .
  31. News: Funding dire for South Shore study. Ebaugh. Alicia. March 25, 2010. . . March 26, 2010.
  32. News: City prepares to study South Shore routes. Field. Matt. August 17, 2010. . . August 19, 2010.
  33. News: Bids sought for NICTD study. Field. Matt. January 28, 2011. . . February 9, 2011.
  34. Web site: Michigan City/NICTD Rail Realignment Study. May 12, 2016. May 13, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160513074505/http://www.nictd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Michigan-City_NICTD-Rail-Realignment-Study_Final.pdf. dead.
  35. News: South Shore's Double Track project advances in federal grant process. Steele. Andrew. The Times of Northwest Indiana. February 11, 2020. February 16, 2020.
  36. Web site: Double-track construction set to end South Shore street running . February 25, 2022 .
  37. Web site: South Shore Street Running Ends This Weekend . February 24, 2022 .
  38. Web site: South Shore Line Schedule Revision/Service Announcement Oct. 25, 2023 . 13 October 2023.
  39. News: Kate . Annie . South Shore Line busing to end April 9, double track opens . 4 April 2024 . ABC57 . 25 March 2024.
  40. Web site: Benman. Keith. Study: Valpo-to-Munster SS line would add few riders. December 17, 2008. The Times of Northwest Indiana. September 1, 2009.
  41. News: Zorn . Tim . South Shore West Lake expansion project breaks ground; 4-year construction cost estimated at $945M . 22 November 2020 . Chicago Tribune . October 28, 2020.
  42. News: Carden . Dan . West Lake commuter rail line construction could begin in October . 18 July 2020 . NWI Times .
  43. Web site: 2023-07-24 . Progress continues on Double Track, West Lake Corridor . 2024-07-13 . Lakeshore Public Media Public Broadcasting for Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland . en.
  44. West Lake Corridor Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 2: Alternatives Considered). Simón. Marisol R.. Noland. Michael. December 2, 2016. NICTD. Federal Transit Administration. USDoT. US Army Corps of Engineers. July 16, 2017. Federal Transit Administration. United States Department of Transportation. United States Army Corps of Engineers.
  45. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions. 2017. West Lake Corridor. July 16, 2017.
  46. News: Study: Valpo route no good. Benman. Keith. The Times of Northwest Indiana. December 17, 2008. A1. https://www.newspapers.com/. December 21, 2018.
  47. Web site: Tie that binds . Newspapers.com . The South Bend Tribune . 7 January 2021 . en . subscription . 5 Jul 1992.
  48. Web site: Editorial positions set agenda for 1997 . Newspapers.com . The South Bend Tribune . 1 July 2021 . en . subscription . 26 Jan 1997.
  49. Web site: Kurowski . Jeff . Perron pushers for extension of South Shore Line . Newspapers.com . The South Bend Tribune . 7 January 2021 . en . subscription . 12 Dec 1988.
  50. 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.
  51. Economic Adjustment Study: Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad Corridor, Final Report; Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission and Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District; March 1980; Appendix A
  52. Web site: 2020 State of the System. SSL-4. November 2020. Metra.