The South Shore Line has secured a shorter route into South Bend International Airport, but time is running out to get federal funding to build it.
Currently, trains head slightly past the airport and then circle back to approach the terminal from the east. After almost three years of negotiations, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) and the airport authority have finalized an agreement, letting the railroad acquire an easement to the airport's west side.
But NICTD President Mike Noland says the unprecedented amount of federal funding that had been available for transportation projects is quickly dwindling, as the Biden administration makes awards before leaving office. "There's still money left in the current Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the current Surface Transportation Act," Noland told the NICTD board Monday. "We can't wait anymore. If we're going to fund this project, now is the time to go after those federal dollars."
Under the agreement, NICTD would acquire the easement through an appraisal process, pending the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration. The railroad would also pay the airport $25,000 a year to use some of its terminal space as a waiting room, and the airport would continue to provide parking for South Shore passengers.
Until the move takes place, the railroad will pay the airport $75,000 a year to keep running to the east side. "They had a lot of concerns about the cost that they incur because of our presence in the airport, whether it's cleaning or security or the liability," Noland said.
Noland said the airport authority also wanted language about what would happen if the South Shore Line were to stop operating to the airport for some reason. He told the NICTD board that the airport could relocate the South Shore's waiting area, if service drops below 14 trains a week.
The agreement runs for 50 years, plus options for two 25-year extensions.
