The southshore line (NICTD) needs your help.

For those who don't know, the SouthShore line (NICTD) also known as THE LAST INTERURBAN ELECTRIC LINE IN NORTH AMERICA need your help they are looking to expand there service to provide more service to the southern part of NW Indiana. It does not matter if you don't live in the area you can still sign the petition. Without this the state of Indiana may never fund the extension. They need a great response. If you would like to support the expansion please sign the petition It does not matter where you are from, if you support it just sign in and drop a zip code. (Out of state zip codes are accepted, preference is given to them as they count as people who would visit NW Indiana and use the train instead of driving while in the area).
I couldn't think of a better community to post this in....

Here is the petitions link:
http://www.petitiononline.com/CESSL/petition.html
here is the projects link:
http://www.nictd-wlc.com/

I support Valparaiso, but not the realignment of street trackage in Michigan City. (Call me selfish, but it's bad enough that the street running in South Bend is gone when it could have been retained by reconfiguring it, and it would be awful to remove what currently keeps this line as an "interurban" per se versus an Indiana extension of Metra Electric. The fact that NICTD's new bilevel EMUs don't have steps and trapdoors appears to speak to the intent on NICTD's of realigning the railroad through Michigan City and converting all platforms to high-level, and not being swayed from that goal.)

I too would prefer the street trackage to remain in Michigan city as it makes it unique and a great rail fanning spot. take that away and Michigan city has lost half there tourist business.

they arent getting rid of any of their 1982/1992 cars, are they? i much prefer the single level cars with low level boarding to the new double decker cars. on a related note, has denver RTD selected an EMU model yet for those 2 lines?

if they did get rid of the street running in michigan city (which i certainly hope they dont), would i be correct to assume that it wouldnt be for at least several years?

The street running in Michigan City is by far the most expensive part of the railroad to maintain on a mile-for-mile basis. It is prone to failure, difficult to maintain, and imposes a very noticeable speed restriction on an otherwise modern (and getting more and more modern) commuter railroad.

Finally, the imposition of mandatory Positive Train Control by December 2015 is the final nail in the coffin for the street running. There are current plans to get out of the street within the next four to five years. Most likely, the railroad will stay in the 11th Street "corridor", but the rails will come out of the street and a new high-level platform, full amenity station will be constructed at 11th & Franklin Streets, accompanied by the abandonment of Carroll Avenue as a passenger station.

On another note, NICTD is not getting rid of any cars, having nearly completed a mid-life overhaul of all of its older equipment.

PullmanCo wrote:I support Valparaiso, but not the realignment of street trackage in Michigan City. (Call me selfish, but it's bad enough that the street running in South Bend is gone when it could have been retained by reconfiguring it, and it would be awful to remove what currently keeps this line as an "interurban" per se versus an Indiana extension of Metra Electric. The fact that NICTD's new bilevel EMUs don't have steps and trapdoors appears to speak to the intent on NICTD's of realigning the railroad through Michigan City and converting all platforms to high-level, and not being swayed from that goal.)

Wrong - the new EMUs do have steps and trapdoors. Most of the line is still low-level platforms.

As an Indiana taxpayer, I highly support getting the railroad out of the street.

As a motorist, I support getting the railroad out of the street for safety reasons, although I don't know of a train/car crash.

As a rider, I support getting the railroad out of the street for timekeeping reasons. A few miles at 15mph max, plus stoplights, plays havoc with running time.


The Shore is in better shape than it's been since Insull pored money into the line in 1926. Be glad you have a working interurban of any nature - if you want to see antiques, go to IRM.

Tadman wrote:As an Indiana taxpayer, I highly support getting the railroad out of the street.

As a motorist, I support getting the railroad out of the street for safety reasons, although I don't know of a train/car crash.

Had one about a month ago - a truck tried to shimmy between a train and a snow bank on 11th Street, and wound up striking the side of the first car.