Passenger Trains > CSS&SB Traffic Increase

I saw on the website of the South Bend, IN. TV station that the CSS&SB , aka, the South Shore, has added trains to accomodate extra passengers due to road construction delays on Chicago's Dan Ryan expressway. Four trains between Gary and Chicago were added and it was also mentioned that on last Wednesday, a four car South Shore train departed South Bend with 500 passengers. When the NICD was established to take over the South Shore from Chessie System, I don't think anyone envisioned this sort of traffic level.

Great news. Question though. Is this four new trains total, or four new round trips (eight new trains)? Thanks, Jeff

Actually, the South Shore has added just one train - and it was only this past Thursday and Friday. On Satuday, one roundtrip has been added to accomodate passengers going to the Chicago Cubs game. NICTD/South Shore has no extra equipment to add any additional rush hour trains.

Could they lease equipment from the Metra Heritage Corridor, since they just got a bunch of new equipment to replace the highliners. Its a temporary solution at best of course unless South Shore did a big overhaul on those highliners as they are in bad shape, but it is a solution and a way to make more money!
Cheers,
Nick

NICTD might be better off trying to lease any surplus Metra Electric equipment, if there is any. The Metra Heritage line is the diesel hauled line to Joliet. NICTD has used diesel Metra consists in the past. However Randolph Street Station is now completely underground thanks to Millenium Park, there is a real concern about ventilation in the station.

With recent new service expansions on two Metra lines (SouthWest Service and the North Central Service), there's not a lot of surplus equipment to go around. As far as I know, only a handful of the new electric cars have been delivered to date.

I like the report of the 500 passengers on the four-car train from South Bend. That's a loooong ride to stand in the aisle.

Being a professional engineer in the transportation field, I can not understand the apparent lack of planning and coordination between IDOT and the local transit agencies with respect to the Dan Ryna Expressway reconstruction. The CTA's Red Line in the middle of the Dan Ryan is in the middle of it's own rehab. It's going to be a long summer on the South Side.

I second that comment about IDOT. At least they could have waited until the I-294 revamp at the state line was done.

At least they finally finished the Skyway...

I read a report that Metra had 17 electric highliners that they were about to retire, but kept them in anticipation of possible added ridership on Metra Electric during the Ryan reconstruction. I haven't heard of big ridership increases on Metra Electric, so perhaps these cars could be made available, if South Shore is interested.

I've told my south side relatives that we're going to have to do more lunches downtown since I'm going to avoid driving out south as much as possible for a while.