The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) recently completed a diagnostic study of the Hegewisch Station pedestrian crossings with participation from the Illinois Commerce Commission and Federal Railroad Administration. The diagnostic study recommended the installation of active warning devices as a safety enhancement and additional safeguard. The pedestrian crossings at the Hegewisch platforms are safe and federal railroad regulations do not require the installation of active warning devices. However, after any accident we review the situation to determine if additional safeguards can be added out of an abundance of caution. NICTD previously committed to promptly pursuing funding for the safety enhancements recommended by the diagnostic study. At Hegewisch, NICTD will be adding gates, flashing lights, and bells, which will also involve reconfiguration of the pedestrian crossings to accommodate the installation of the active warning devices.
As part of NICTD’s 5-year capital program adopted by the Board of Trustees on Monday January 26, 2026, NICTD will be seeking proposals for the engineering for the project, and then soliciting public bids from contractors to perform the work. NICTD estimates the total project cost to be approximately $2.75M. Engineering services will be needed to design the physical infrastructure to comply with federal railroad regulations, the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) guidelines, and other requirements. The engineering services will also be needed to reconfigure the connections for the railroad signal system and positive train control that will have to be performed in order to connect the active warning devices to the railroad.
We continue to ask all passengers and pedestrians to stay alert near railroad crossings, look both ways before crossing railroad tracks, observe all posted signage, and always keep in mind that trains can come from either direction, at any time, and on any track.
Our commitment to safety and to the communities we serve remains steadfast. For more information on NICTD’s safety initiatives, please visit www.mysouthshoreline.com. To learn more about rail safety, please visit www.oli.org and join us in supporting Operation Lifesaver’s important campaign: “See Tracks? Think Train®.” NICTD is a proud supporter of Operation Lifesaver.