South Shore Line retiree Joe Crnkovich wants West Lake Corridor proponent Janet Moran memorialized by the railroad.
“She fought hard for the West Lake Corridor,” Crnkovich said, helping preserve the abandoned rail route between Hammond and Dyer for future passenger rail service and helping build the coalition that ultimately led to the rail line being built there.
Crnkovich on Monday urged the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore Line, to name the 173rd Street station in her honor.
Moran, who died Feb. 25, was a former Hammond City Council member whose district included the site of that station, he told the NICTD board of directors.
Crnkovich worked with Moran while he served as a clerk for the Hammond Urban Railroad Study Commission, he said.
The West Lake Corridor construction is 96% complete, General Manager and President Michael Noland told the board.
“The last things that are done are your most complex,” he said.
A sticking point is construction of the bridge under the CSX tracks near the Munster/Dyer border.
A temporary structure was put in place in early February, with the permanent structure expected to be done at the end of May or early June, Noland said.
The contractor’s latest schedule calls for completion on Halloween, but Noland and his team are pushing hard to get it done sooner so service can begin on that route.
“We look for opportunities every day to pull that schedule back to summertime,” he said.
His best estimate is that service could start in late August or early September, he said.
The original completion date was last fall. Noland said the railroad is assessing fines as an incentive for the design/build contractor to finish its work as soon as possible.
“All the wire is not up yet,” he said, so he’s not sure when the lines can be energized to run electric trains on the route.
Diesel trains could be used, but that wouldn’t test the rail line at the maximum authorized speed for electric rail cars, Noland said.
Along the traditional route, just about all that’s left undone for the double track project is the train station in Michigan City.
That’s expected to be done at the end of April. The new station will include a parking garage with about 530 spaces, 437 of which are designated for South Shore passengers’ use. After 2 p.m., unused parking spaces will be available for anyone to use in accordance with the railroad’s agreement with the city, Noland said.
Until the parking structure and station is completed, the city has allowed passengers to park on the street within a quarter mile of the station, plus there’s a parking lot with more than 100 spaces that fills up, he said.
Adjacent to the station is a massive development that will include residential units and retail or commercial space. “If you don’t go by every few weeks, you’re going to miss something,” Noland said.
Also needed to complete the double track project is a set of as-built drawings from Walsh Construction. Those are needed for future reference when repairs or upgrades are needed along the route.
The railroad is also working on other major projects.
The $112 million project to move the train station from the east side of the South Bend airport to the west side is just about designed, with a scramble to find funding for it.
“What’s my crystal ball for federal funding? I don’t have it,” Noland said.
The railroad is working with South Bend, St. Joseph County, University of Notre Dame, the General Assembly and the Northern Indiana Regional Development Authority, which serves the South Bend and Elkhart area to come up with local funding. First Source Bank has also expressed interest, Noland said, and he’s hoping the Indiana General Assembly will kick in funds as well.
Despite not having the 50% local match secured for a federal grant, Noland said the railroad put in a grant application anyway in hopes that it would build awareness of the project, if nothing else.
In 2026, the five-year surface transportation grant program is up for renewal, so that will be a factor as well as any routine hiccups for a change in administration.
The $250 million Metra fourth track project involves increasing capacity to bring 26 new South Shore trains into Metra’s system is coming along, too, Noland said.
The railroad is also looking at the possibility of replacing its Hudson Lake station with one in New Carlisle, dusting off a study from several years ago. Since the study was done, New Carlisle is seeing major construction projects that are expected to draw new residents, Noland said.
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
