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The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s (NICTD) board recently approved a fare increase for the South Shore Line passenger-rail service from Hegewisch to Chicago effective Feb. 1, and proposed a 5 percent across-the-board increase to go into effect Feb. 15.

The new fares from Hegewisch to Chicago include a 75 cent increase for a one-way ticket in zones 1 and 2; a $4.75 increase for a 10-ride pass for zones 1 and 2; a $21.50 increase in Zone 1 and a $20.35 increase in Zone 2 for a 25-ride pass; and a $32.65 increase in Zone 1 and a $30.55 increase in Zone 2 for a monthly pass.

The agency will hold public hearings in January on the proposed 5 percent increase, which would apply to all stations except Hegewisch, NICTD officials said in a prepared statement.

Also, effective Feb. 15, the NICTD will discontinue South Shore service to the Kensington/115 Street Station.

During the past several years, NICTD has been working on a major capital project to improve its connection with the Metra Electric District, which uses CN tracks east of the Kensington platform and, as a result, by-passes Kensington Station to allow South Shore trains to connect directly with Metra’s Tracks 3 and 4 north of Kensington platform, NICTD officials said.

The project will increase train speed and track capacity, and reduce the potential for train delays, they said.