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9/2/2020
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) recently learned it will receive $50.6 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant Program for the Double Track Northwest Indiana project.
To cover more than 26 miles from Gary to Michigan City, Indiana, the project includes the installation of a second mainline track, improvements to five stations, and the construction of over 1,300 new parking spaces and nine new platforms. In Michigan City, rail will be separated from the roadway and 21 grade crossings will be closed.
The project is expected to more than double South Shore Line ridership and reduce travel times, NICTD officials said in a press release. The FTA’s allocation is in advance of an anticipated Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) in 2021, they added.
“This announcement is such a great shot in the arm for the Double Track Project and a recognition by the FTA that this project merits their investment,” said NICTD President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Noland.
In addition to the double-track project, NICTD continues to work with partners and state and federal authorities on advancing towards federal funding for the West Lake Corridor Project. It calls for building an 8-mile line extending from the South Shore Line in Hammond to Dyer, Indiana, constructing four new stations in various locations and establishing a light maintenance facility in north Hammond.
NICTD expects a FFGA for the West Lake Corridor project this fall. Combined with the double-track work, the two major projects are projected to attract about $2.3 billion in private investments and and $3 billion in economic impacts by 2048, NICTD officials said.