A plan to expand Northwest Indiana’s commuter rail line for the first time in more than a century will be the subject of three public hearings beginning Tuesday.
The South Shore Line’s proposed West Lake Corridor would bring daily passenger rail service to and from Chicago for residents of Munster, Dyer, and nearby towns.
West Lake would be a nine-mile rail link from the Munster-Dyer border to the existing South Shore line in north Hammond; from there, trains would go into downtown Chicago. There would be stations in Dyer, Munster and south Hammond as well as a “gateway” station in north Hammond that would serve the new line and the existing South Shore service.
Plans anticipate that the West Lake train service could be running in about six years. Its supporters say the project would, over 30 years, create 2,500 new jobs and attract 8,000 new residents to Northwest Indiana.
The project was also the subject of public meetings in Dyer, Munster and Hammond last year.
These hearings are coming up:
*Tuesday, Jan. 17, 6-8 p.m., at Protsman Elementary School, 1121 Harrison Ave., Dyer
*Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Washington Irving Elementary School, 4727 Pine Ave., Hammond
*Thursday, Jan. 19, 6-8 p.m., at Centennial Park, 1005 S. Centennial Drive, Munster
More Top Picks Logitech G Pro X Wireless
A court reporter will record oral comments, and people may submit written comments at the hearings. Until Feb. 3, people also can email comments to [email protected], call them in to 219-250-2920, or mail them to NICD, DEIS West Lake Corridor Project, 33 E. U.S. 12, Chesterton, Ind. 46304.
The hearings are part of the project’s draft environmental impact statement process. The full DEIS, released in December, is available online at www.nictdwestlake.com. Printed copies are at the Hammond Public Library, the Lake County Public Library’s Munster and Dyer-Schererville branches, and the NICTD office in Chesterton.
The cost estimate to build the line – the first addition to the South Shore route constructed in the early 20th century — runs to about $600 million now. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District is seeking a Federal Transit Administration grant for half the cost. The Indiana legislature, the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority and most of Lake County’s cities and towns have pledged support for the rest of the capital cost.
Tim Zorn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.