CHESTERTON, Ind. — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District board has agreed to commit $6 million in capital funding for the new South Shore Line route to the South Bend, Ind., airport.
Approval came at a board meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, WBAA radio reports. The long-discussed project was also the subject of an open-house meeting Jan. 28 in South Bend
The NICTD board was also updated on the West Lake Corridor project to build the new spur line to Dyer, Ind., and informed of a proposed 10% fare increase.
The project is expected to trim up to 15 minutes from train trips to and from the airport. It will replace the current roundabout route to the airport’s east side with a more direct western entry, trimming 2.5 miles and eliminating 22 grade crossings [see “Agreement reached for new South Shore route …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 2, 2024]. NICTD President Mike Noland said the project is expected to cost $112 million. The agency is hoping to obtain federal funding for half the cost, and is working with the state, St. Joseph County, the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority and the private sector for the remainder. Noland said the University of Notre Dame and 1st Source Bank have “thrown their full weight behind moving the project and said they’ll work on getting private-sector dollars, which has never before in my existence happened.”
WNDU-TV reports the plans call for acquisition of 10 to 11 homes in the path of the project, and WSBT-TV reports homeowners have received letters informing them their property may be acquired. Actual real estate acquisition is not expected until fall 2025, according to the letter. Noland told WSBT that the transit agency understands “the emotional aspect of this, and that’s why we want to make sure that people know they’re going to be treated fairly. They’re going to be treated pursuant to the relocation act, and we want them to know what the process is going to be.”
West Lake Corridor update
WPLR radio reports opening of the West Lake Corridor branch is sliding back from its target in May into the summer, with Noland telling the board, “We are working with the contractor to try to make sure that they bring the schedule back to something that we believe is reasonable.”
One source of delay remains an underpass to connect the new Munster/Dyer station to a parking lot [see “Underpass work will determine opening date …,” News Wire, Nov. 27, 2024]. But work on signals, catenary and electrical substations still need to be completed before extensive testing can begin.
“The Federal Railroad Administration requires some pretty significant training and testing verification before they’ll let you open up a brand-new line segment,” Noland said.
He estimated construction is more than 90% complete.
Fare increase plans
Noland told the board meeting that most commuter rail operations avoided fare hikes in the wake of the pandemic but an increase now seems reasonable: “There certainly have been inflationary pressures that are far exceeding the ticket price that we have been charging our riders,” he said.
The agency will hold public hearings on the proposal and expects to bring it to the board for approval sometime around May. The NICTD is also asking the state legislature for additional funding, he said, to address the fiscal shortfall created by the post-pandemic decrease in ridership.
