More service is coming to the South Shore Line, starting May 14. The railroad is overhauling its schedule with the completion of its Double Track project.
The new schedule will include seven more trains in and out of Chicago each weekday, with most of the new trains running between Chicago and Michigan City. Meanwhile, Chicago-to-Gary trains will now start and end at Miller, rather than Gary Metro Center. Some Michigan City trains will begin and end at 11th Street, while others will continue to use Carroll Avenue.
There will also be new express train service, reducing travel times to Chicago to 109 minutes from South Bend, 67 minutes from Michigan City and 46 minutes from Miller.
The Double Track project will make it easier for riders to take their bikes on trains. Miller, Portage/Ogden Dunes and Michigan City 11st Street can now accommodate bikes, thanks to new high-level platforms. And the railroad says it plans to expand its Bikes on Trains program to all trains, all year long.
Still, riders hoping for more frequent weekend and holiday service may be disappointed. The schedule calls for no new weekend trains for now, but the existing ones will run on a shorter schedule. Weekend trips from Chicago to South Bend will typically take just over two hours, a decrease of almost 40 minutes.
