1901–1920s: The Early Years
1901: South Shore Line opens as the Chicago & Indiana Air Line Railway.
1908: Renamed the Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend Railway.
1925: Reorganized as the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS&SB).
1926: Starts running trains directly into Chicago’s Randolph Street Terminal (now Millennium Station).
1940s–1950s: Peak and Decline
1940s: South Shore Line becomes popular for commuters and tourists heading to the Indiana Dunes.
1950s: Car travel increases, causing ridership to drop. The railroad struggles financially.
1960s–1970s: Near Collapse
1967: The South Shore is the last surviving interurban electric railway in the U.S.
1977: Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) is created to save the line.
1980s: New Life
1984: NICTD officially takes over passenger service from the private freight railroad.
1986: NICTD begins major upgrades to stations, track, and power systems.
1990s: Big Improvements
1992: South Shore Line is rerouted into the Metra Electric line at Kensington to reach Millennium Station more efficiently.
1994: New trains and upgrades make the service faster and smoother.
2000s–2010s: Modern Moves
2009: Station improvements continue, and modern cars are added.
2015: NICTD starts planning expansion to new areas of Northwest Indiana.
2020s: Expansion and Upgrades
2021: Double Track Project begins, to add a second track from Gary to Michigan City.
2022: Construction begins on the West Lake Corridor, a new branch to Dyer, Indiana!
2024: Double Track and West Lake Corridor projects near completion.
2025: New stations, faster trains, and better service expected to begin soon.
Yep, this all happened! 🚉
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse