South Shore commuter route extension could start construction this fall

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announces $544.3 million in federal funding for transit projects.
Government Accountability Office

The South Shore is a storied electrified commuter rail line that runs from Millennium Station in downtown Chicago to the South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Ind. A plan for an eight-mile extension from Hammond, Ind. to other Lake County communities could begin construction this fall.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that South Shore should be granted up to $355 million by the federal government that would round out the total amount needed for the agency to extend the rail line from Hammond, going through Munster and Dyer. The total anticipated cost of the project is $933 million.

South Shore president Mike Noland said that if construction work does begin in October, service could begin as early as 2025.

As part of the project, there would be a station on the Munster-Dyer town line, one in Munster, with Hammond receiving two new boarding stations. The South Shore already runs through Hammond, and the new line will run south-southwest to Munster, then on to Dyer. The trip time from the station serving Dyer will take approximately 45 minutes.

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