South Shore Line to begin East Chicago Station improvement project

South Shore Line to begin East Chicago Station improvement project

As part of the South Shore Line’s ongoing commitment to improving passenger services, officials today announce that construction is set to begin that will add a second entrance/exit to the East Chicago Station platform.

The project is expected to begin Monday, April 29, 2019, through December 2019, and will help accommodate the large influx of passengers at East Chicago Station. The improvements include converting the low-level platform to the east of the station into a covered walkway to access a new head house, stairwell and tunnel leading to the eastern parking lot.

Additionally, other East Chicago Station projects include improvements to the existing head house, and the installation in 2020 of higher speed track switches to allow for faster and more efficient train movements.

“We are excited to begin construction of this long-anticipated improvement,” said Michael Noland, President of the South Shore Line. “Opening the second entrance to our largest station is something we have had as a priority for many years,” he added.

During the construction, there will be some reduction in available commuter parking due to construction laydown and access. The SSL continues to work with the project’s construction firm to minimize the loss of parking spaces for our commuters.

Funding for the East Chicago Station project was received from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), along with clearance under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Engineering design services were completed by consulting firm AECOM and approved by the FRA in December 2018. The project was awarded through competitive procurement to Barton Malow of Portage, Ind.

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The South Shore Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Indiana.