Double Track

Northwest Indiana's commuter rail projects are moving ahead.

Schedule changes are coming to the South Shore Line, starting next Tuesday. The "temporary modified schedule" lengthens trip times for most services east of Gary, as busing continues between Gary Metro Center and Carroll Avenue.

Changes are coming to the South Shore Line's busing operation. Starting Monday, trains will be replaced by buses between Gary Metro Center and Carroll Avenue, as part of the railroad's Double Track project.

Efforts to build a continuous bike trail from Chicago to Michigan continue to move forward. The remaining gaps in the 60-mile Marquette Greenway Trail are being filled one piece at a time, thanks to an infusion of state and federal funding.

The South Shore Line's train cars are getting some major upgrades. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District crews are currently rehabbing 32 of the railroad's 1982-series cars for use on the future West Lake Corridor.

The South Shore Line's Double Track project is bringing plenty of disruption but no major problems, according to Mike Noland, the president of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

Northwest Indiana's two commuter rail projects are underway and on schedule. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District President Mike Noland says the Double Track project is finally being built. Construction on the West Lake Corridor will start in the next month or two, with design work now about 75 percent complete.

Starting Monday, the South Shore Line will be busing passengers between the Dune Park and Carroll Avenue stations. Trains will run on their regular schedules between Chicago and Dune Park, and between Carroll Avenue and South Bend, with a bus connecting the two sections. But passengers using the Michigan City 11th Street and Beverly Shores stations will have to use a "loop bus" — which runs on a completely separate schedule — to take them to Dune Park or Carroll Avenue.

Full construction on a billion dollars worth of commuter rail projects will begin next month. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District President Mike Noland says both the West Lake Corridor and Double Track projects will be "in the ground" in early March.

CHESTERTON - One of the requirements for federal funding for the double tracking of the South Shore Line is now complete. Northern Indiana Commuter…