(Michigan City, IN) - Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb took a South Shore commuter train from Michigan City to Gary today to take part in a ribbon cutting for the new double track. At about 10 a.m., the governor boarded a passenger car at the new train station, featuring an eight-car platform, at 11th and Franklin Streets.
“Today marks a day of celebration,” 
Holcomb said, also noting how the double track and other improvements have greatly modernized a line in desperate need of upgrading for decades.
14 additional train cars have been added to increase the number of trips and accommodate an expected increase in ridership.
“We’re not only going to have a lot more runs every day, but the quality of the travel is second to none,” he said.
The new train schedule, reflecting quicker travel times to and from Chicago, will go into effect on Tuesday.
“It’s almost surreal to think that we’re actually here after all of the years of trying to get this going,” said Mike Noland, President of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the commuter line.
A significant increase in economic activity is anticipated from a projected increase in passengers taking advantage of one-way trips to and from Michigan City via train being 30 minutes quicker.
Construction has already begun on three towers that will contain a hotel, condominiums, and apartments on Michigan City’s north side when completed.
Noland said quicker travel was achieved mostly from trains no longer having to stop and wait for trains ahead of them on a single line to finish picking up and unloading passengers at a number of stations along the way. He said additional time was saved by transforming some of the curves into longer straightaways to reduce the number of slowdowns.
Noland explained how the double track had been in the railroad’s strategic plan since 2014. He said milestones achieved to make it a reality included securing state and federal funding to pay for most of the over $600 million project.
“Those were huge hurdles,” he said.
Noland said it’s difficult to know when the expected surge in ridership will happen, but quicker travel on the double track is being advertised in this part of the state. He also strongly feels word about the faster times will spread into the Chicago area through social media.
“I really do believe we’re going to see tremendous spikes in ridership,” he said.
Officials also believe the lakefront, Blue Chip Casino, and the Indiana Dunes National Park are among the other attractions in the Michigan City area that will help draw more visitors from the Chicago area. La Porte County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jack Arnett said his organization will help promote the quicker train travel to the masses right away to bring in more visitors.
In addition, Arnett said, his group will inform visitors attending several day-long conventions at the Blue Chip about the quicker travel to Chicago so they can do things there and return by train to resume their stay in Michigan City.
Arnett said he suspects quicker travel by train will have an immediate positive economic impact on Michigan City and increase further over time as more people become aware of the improved service.
