RailNews

The landmark 11th Street Station in Michigan City, Ind., opened in 1927, and was closed in 1987. The station was demolished on January 31, but the terra cotta facade was salvaged to be repurposed in the new station complex to be built as part of the realignment project. A morning train from Chicago pauses at 11th Street on April 18, 2011. Photo by Otto M. Vondrak.

South Shore Line Street-Running Comes to an End

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — A century of street running on the South Shore Line in Michigan City, Ind., came to an end this weekend. Starting Monday, February 28, bus service will substitute train service between the Carroll Avenue and Dune Park stations through at least this fall. Passengers going between Chicago and South Bend, Ind., will have to transfer from a train to a bus and back to a train to complete their journey.

The Double Track NWI project includes almost 17 miles of double-track to be installed between Gary and Michigan City, four new bridges, eight new station platforms and increased parking, and the closure of 21 grade crossings in Michigan City to help increase average train speeds. The single track street-running will be replaced with ballasted double track, and 11th Street will be converted into a single one-way lane for eastbound automobile traffic. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

—Staff