The South Shore train line has long transported commuters from downtown Chicago to northwest Indiana, but it will do so even faster thanks to improvements officially unveiled Monday.
The service, which runs from Millennium Station at the intersection of Randolph and Michigan Avenue and carries passengers to South Bend, will begin operating the new service on Tuesday, and that’s good news for passengers because it will reduce up to 30 minutes away. outside of travel times to Indiana.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, who took the train for the first celebratory ride from Michigan City to Miller, praised the progress the improvements will make along the line.
“In days like today you can feel it, it’s not just words, you can feel the progress and the good that will come from it,” he said.
Planning for the Faster Lane took almost 10 years and construction took more than two years. The cost was borne through a partnership with the federal government. The federal government injected $200 million into the project, and state governments invested $340 million.
Another $80 million was funded locally, and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District invested $30 million, for a total expenditure of $650 million.
Ridership due to COVID is down 50%, but Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District President Mike Noland is optimistic that the new improvements will increase that number.
“We now expect a seamless train journey, a much better service, a higher train frequency, fewer delays and we will attract riders,” he said.
The improved train also sparked an economic recovery in places like Michigan City along the rail route. A new railway depot as well as residential condos are under construction nearby.
Indiana Rep. Frank Mrvan hailed the investment’s dividends, saying the changes are “all triggered by dual tracking.”
“We also create work and wealth,” he said.
Passengers wanting to take the train will pay $10 for tickets on the South Shore Line from Michigan City to Chicago, and the trip will now take less than an hour thanks to the improvements. The additional service will come into effect on Tuesday.
NBC Chicago
