(Chesterton, IN) - The South Shore commuter line is reporting improvement in reaching destinations on time since a revised train schedule went into effect last week.

 

“We are three days into the new schedule and we are already seeing improvement in on-time performance and we expect more to come,” said Mike Noland, president of the commuter line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

 

At times, Noland said delays were experienced last week because of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and a large bridge project in Gary, which single tracked five miles of the new double track.

 

He said issues should be resolved by tomorrow, which will provide a “much better opportunity to evaluate the new schedule’s effectiveness.”

 

The double track was projected to reduce a one way trip from Michigan City to Chicago by about 30 minutes but there’s been some lack of consistency in meeting the target since the double track went into operation a few months ago.

 

Noland vowed to continue an open line of communication with riders, whose input has been sought to improve service on the double track.

 

”We need to reiterate once again how much we value the input we received from you over the past several months, especially from the rider survey. We plan on conducting another rider survey in the coming months to continue this dialogue. While improving our on-time performance is one of our main priorities, our highest priority has been, is, and always will be safety,” Noland said.