South Shore Line

Metra and its freight railroad and municipal partners are taking on a wide variety of projects in 2025, including improvements to 52 stations and replacement of 43 grade crossings. (Metra Photograph)
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Metra Outlines 2025 Construction Program

Metra on March 18 detailed its program for the 2025 construction season, covering station, track, road crossing, bridge, and signal/communications improvement projects along the Chicagoland commuter railroad’s 11 lines totaling nearly 500 route

Transit Briefs: TriMet, Metro-North, SBCTA, South Shore Line

TriMet rolls out new security phones at MAX stations. Also, train service on Metro-North Railroad’s Waterbury Branch will resume on Oct. 28; the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) seeks public feedback on the proposed ONT Connector project; and South Shore Line opens its Hammond Gateway Station.

MBTA’s winning exterior design for its Green Line Type 10 “supercars” from CAF USA Inc. (pictured) was selected by riders and the transit agency’s employees. (Rendering Courtesy of MBTA)

Transit Briefs: MBTA, Brightline, Denver RTD, NIRDA

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) unveils the exterior paint design for its new Green Line cars. Also, Brightline offers a new All-Station Shared Pass for travel between Miami and Orlando, Fla.; Denver (Colo.) Regional Transportation District reports that more than 75% of rail and bus riders are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with service; and Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (NIRDA) advances three new transit development districts along South Shore commuter rail lines.

A Rich Rail Transit History

RAILWAY AGE SEPTEMBER 2022 ISSUE: In his on line article Happy 75th, CTA!, Contributing Editor David Peter Alan makes reference to CTA’s Skokie Swift, now known as the Yellow Line, as the

Commentary

Second in a Series: Complete Streets, Incomplete Transit

In my last report, I looked at Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Transportation, and what he would bring to the post. I looked at his own concepts as he expressed them in his acceptance speech, how he might serve USDOT’s business constituents, and his background. Part of that background is the time he spent as mayor of South Bend, a post he occupied starting in 2012. As I will describe in this article, he can claim some credit as an urbanist with his “Smart Streets” policy for the city’s downtown area, but local bus service remains limited, and the passenger trains that ostensibly run to South Bend do not go anywhere near downtown.

NICTD Launches West Lake Corridor Project

Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) held a virtual groundbreaking ceremony for its West Lake Corridor Project, extending the South Shore Line commuter rail service 7.8 miles from Hammond (on the north) to Dyer (on the south).