CHICAGO — The South Shore Line will permanently close its ticket offices at Chicago’s Millennium Station and at its Carroll Avenue station in Michigan City, Ind., as of Friday, April 26.
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District announced the move on Tuesday, April 16, saying in a press release that it will “allow the SSL to better allocate ticket agent resources. Currently, nearly 85% of SSL ticket purchases are digital (including 62% via the mobile app and 22% via station Ticket Vending Machines. Ticket agent sales make up just 4% of total ticket sales.”
Ticket sales will be available at the two stations via the mobile app or at vending machines, which take cash or credit.
The move comes shortly after the end of long-term busing between the Gary Metro and Dune Park stations, reflecting ongoing progress in the double-tracking of the South Shore route between Gary and Michigan City. As of April 9, trains are operating the full length of the South Shore route for the first time since February 2022 [see “South Shore Line to resume train service …,” Trains News Wire, March 27, 2024].
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