‘It’s surreal’: Leaders mark opening of South Shore Double Track
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For South Shore Line President Mike Noland, the completion of the $649 million Double Track project after eight years of planning and construction is “beyond exciting.”
Officials on Monday cut the ribbon on the project, which adds 17 miles of new track between Michigan City and Gary, 14 additional trains, and reduces travel time to downtown Chicago by about 30 minutes.
“There’s stuff that we’ve dreamed of for years, and the fact that this railroad is basically going to be reborn and renewed in such a way to provide the opportunities for such wonderful service improvements, we can’t be more thrilled,” Noland said.
In addition to the new track, the project included four new bridges; eight new platforms at stations in Gary, Portage, Chesterton, Beverly Shores and Michigan City; nearly 1,500 new parking spaces at four of the stations, and the closure of 21 roadway rail crossings in Michigan City.
A new train schedule for the South Shore Line has been released ahead of the launch of the Double Track service, which begins Tuesday. You can find the full schedule of train times by clicking here.
Noland and other officials reiterated during the ribbon cutting ceremony that the project was completed on time and under budget.
The project was funded by $197 million in federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration and the American Rescue Program. The remaining funds include $340 million in state funding, $80 million in local funding, and up to $30 million from the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which manages the South Shore Line.
But it’s the long-term economic impact that Noland, Gov. Eric Holcomb and others are most excited about.
Between the Double Track project and the rail line’s $945 million West Lake Corridor extension, an additional $2.7 billion in private investment is projected for northwest Indiana, resulting in more than 6,000 new jobs and $5 billion in economic impact by 2048, according the governor’s office.
The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority estimates that $800 million is already being invested in the region because of the projects.
In Michigan City alone, some $450 million in public and private investment has been generated, including the $280 million SoLa project, for which construction began last September. The project includes two hotels, as well as residential and retail space.
Work is also underway on the $101 million development known as The Franklin at 11th Street Station, which will include 220 market-rate apartments and 5,600 square feet of commercial space.
“For more than a decade, the RDA has worked to make commuter rail expansion a reality,” RDA CEO Sherri Ziller said in written remarks. “The completion of the Double Track project is a milestone marking the beginning of transformational changes in the Region. Better, faster and more reliable train service to and from Chicago is already bringing new residents and new growth to Northwest Indiana, as can already be seen from Hammond to Michigan City.”
Noland added the establishment of Transit Development Districts, in which communities can capture property tax and local income tax revenue to support local development, was a driving force in securing state funding for the project.
“Certainly the improvements for the rail system itself merit that kind of investment,” he said. “But when you layer on the private sector investment and the expected return to the state in the form of tax revenues that these projects will generate because of that investment, the state expects to get as little as $2 and as much as $4 in return for every state dollar they put into the projects. It’s just a great business model for the state.”
Gov. Holcomb praised the collaboration among local, state and federal officials over the last eight years to bring the Double Track project to reality.
“This is a day where Indiana once again proves that we can not only do big things like build a new Westville Correctional Facility, like build a new state park lodge, the first one new one since 1939 over at Potato Creek, but we can do the biggest of things like this project,” Holcomb said. “And what will come from it is even more important than today. It’s about opportunity and new opportunities to that community investment. This is an ROI that I believe is unparalleled.”
Congressman Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., said the start of the new rail service marks a pivotal moment in the community’s journey toward prosperity and inclusivity.
“For too long, certain neighborhoods have been left behind isolated. But this transportation option, we’re changing the narrative,” Mrvan said. “This train represents more than just tracks at a station. It symbolizes our commitment to connecting every corner of our city and community and ensuring that no one gets left behind.”
Meanwhile, construction continues on the West Lake Corridor extension, which brings the South Shore Line from Gary south to Dyer and is expected to be complete in May 2025.
“Adding on that rail spur gives our riders in Lake County—especially westerly Lake County—great new opportunities to use our system, and then to further develop out those communities as they see fit and to and to grow the system and grow our economy,” Noland said.