The Region’s official holiday, 219 Day, is back. On 2/18 Hammond, IN is throwing its 2nd annual party at the Hammond Civic Center to celebrate the special day named after Northwest Indiana’s area code. The South Shore Line will be providing a FREE shuttle bus from the Hammond station to the Hammond Civic Center (Compliments of the Hammond Port Authority) and back. The shuttle will run from 5pm-11:30pm.
CHESTERTON — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's Board of Trustees recently approved a five-year capital plan surpassing $1.1 billion in investment in the South Shore Line.
The list includes the West Lake Corridor and Double Track NWI projects, the rerouting of the railroad's approach to the South Bend International Airport, purchase of new rail cars and completion of a federally mandated safety project. "The face of this railroad will look significantly different when this five-year period is done," said South Shore President and General Manager Michael Noland.
DYER — In a 3-1 vote Tuesday, the Town Council gave the green light to a resolution approving the West Lake commuter rail project with specific recommendations. Voting for that resolution were Debbie Astor, R-5th Ward; Jeff Dekker, R-2nd Ward, and Mary Tanis, R-4th Ward. Cathy J. Lareau, R-3rd Ward, voted against this version. Joe Cinko, D-1st Ward, was absent. One of three resolutions drawn up regarding the West Lake Corridor project for the special meeting, the approved 2017-06-A Resolution featured the South Shore’s preferred option to extend the railroad 9 miles south from a new Gateway station in Hammond to Main Street on the Munster-Dyer border.
The State of Indiana will subsidize the South Shore commuter line by around $16 million this year, according to the 2017 business plan adopted by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s Board of Trustees at its meeting Friday morning. Trustees voted unanimously to approve that plan.
The proposed West Lake Corridor could do more than expand the South Shore Line's commuter service. Planners believe it also would prompt new development – including housing, shopping and leisure -- around the four proposed rail stations on West Lake's route from Hammond to Dyer.