The South Shore Line is adjusting its schedule to address on-time performance issues.
The railroad has sometimes struggled to keep up with the schedule it implemented in May, after it finished its Double Track project. Just 28 percent of its trains were considered to be on time during the month of June, and on-time performance was the number one concern during a recent passenger survey.
The new proposed schedule, expected to take effect August 20, includes 66 adjustments, including more built-in recovery time for some trains.
"This schedule that we have, we believe, is going to give us a really, really strong chance at a much, much greater success," Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) President Mike Noland told the NICTD board Monday.
A big goal is to make sure South Shore trains are on time when they join the Metra system to avoid being further delayed by Metra trains. The South Shore is also bringing back a provision allowing trains to depart certain stations up to four minutes early after dropping off passengers.
Noland said the adjustments also incorporate passenger input about the weekend schedule — with more consistent eastbound departures and the extension of the train that leaves Millennium Station at 11:15 p.m. train from Michigan City to South Bend, to accommodate riders attending evening events in Chicago.
One notable change is the elimination of McCormick Place as a weekend-only flag stop. Since it's designed as a local station, it prevents South Shore trains from taking advantage of Metra's express tracks on the weekends, and Noland said it accounts for less than one percent of the South Shore's weekend ridership. "Well, if that's impairing our ability to perform better, does this service justify that stop?" Noland asked.
But he said the railroad would continue stopping at McCormick Place for special events, similar to the arrangement currently in place at 18th Street. NICTD is taking public comments on the change until August 13.
When it comes to on-time performance, train engineer Scott Kooi said employees warned the railroad about the May schedule when Double Track was still in its testing phase. "We did not just address this issue to management but to every department, for us to be met with a firm, 'That's just how it is,'" Kooi told board members.
He also complained that the proposed update fails to add a late evening westbound stop at 57th Street, which he says is a popular destination at that time.
