The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) received a $27.5 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Build America Bureau.
The RRIF loan will support construction activity for the $649.5-million South Shore Double Track Project, which will add a second track between Gary and Michigan City, Ind., to deliver more competitive passenger rail service options.
“We are pleased to help finance the Double Track Project, which will increase safety, reliability and cut travel time by one-third for commuters from Michigan City to Chicago,” said USDOT Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “This project will deliver improved trip options, taking vehicles off the road and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”
“The South Shore Line upgrades will not only benefit commuters, but the entire region, as transit-oriented development is induced, and new jobs are created,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian. “Eliminating shared use of the single track and the road/train crossings greatly enhances safety for riders and drivers.”
The South Shore Double Track Project is also being partially funded with $24 million through the American Rescue Act and through the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants Program. The project was awarded a $172.96 million Full Funding Grant Agreement in January 2021.
Additionally, the Double Track RRIF loan is the second such loan NICTD has secured. The district received a $203.3 million RRIF loan in June 2022 for help in delivering the West Lake Corridor Commuter Rail Project, which is an eight-mile extension of the South Shore Line between Dyer and Hammond, Ind.