The South Shore Line’s new commuter rail branch will open before the end of the month.
Passenger service on the Monon Corridor will officially start on Tuesday, March 31 at 11:45 a.m. Retiring Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District President Mike Noland made the announcement Friday in his farewell letter to riders.
The eight-mile branch splits off the main line in Hammond and runs south through Munster, to its border with Dyer. It will feature three new stations, with plans for a fourth in Downtown Hammond. Service will consist of six weekday round trips to Chicago’s Millennium Station, plus off-peak and weekend shuttles to the main line in Hammond.
The branch’s opening was delayed by almost a year, due to issues getting permission to build a road underpass underneath CSX tracks, a lack of insulation of electrical current and the failure of new transformers.
Noland’s last day as NICTD president was Sunday. He’s being replaced by David Dech, who comes to NICTD from the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the Tri-Rail commuter service.
