South Shore Line schedule starting May 14 offers faster, more frequent trips to Chicago

Jordan Smith, South Bend Tribune
·2 min read
The weekday South Shore train arrives Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the South Bend International Airport terminal in South Bend.
The weekday South Shore train arrives Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the South Bend International Airport terminal in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND — Starting May 14, the trip from South Bend to Chicago on South Shore Line trains is projected to be nearly an hour faster.

The South Shore Line announced Thursday it will soon implement a new schedule that adds limited-stop express service and 14 weekday trains, including more options during morning and afternoon rush hours. The ride from South Bend International Airport to Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, a ride that frequently takes more than two and a half hours, is set to take 109 minutes on an express train.

The changes are the result of the $649 million double-track project along a busy 26.6-mile segment of the line between Gary and Michigan City. With two tracks, trains can run more frequently without pulling over on side tracks to make way for others to pass.

The new schedule, posted on the South Shore Line's website, runs 53 trains to and from Chicago. Service from Michigan City to Chicago on express trains is now expected to take 67 minutes. The trip from Miller station in Gary to Millennium Station is set to take 46 minutes. Going from the Dune Park station in Chesterton to Chicago will take just under an hour.

More: Bikes welcome back on South Shore. Plus news about Great Lakes shores, river otter trapping

In another change, South Bend passengers can bring bicycles on the train all year long. And stations at 11th Street in Michigan City, Ogden Dunes in Portage and Miller in Gary are now bike stations, meaning cyclists can board with their bicycle there for the first time.

In the next few years, South Shore Line officials hope to further reduce the trip from South Bend to Chicago to 90 minutes by moving the station to the west side of the airport terminal.

South Shore Line President Mike Noland previously told The Tribune that the time is ripe to make use of federal money that would help with the estimated $80 million cost of relocating the station at the airport. He said the hope to move the station to downtown South Bend may inspire more excitement, but it's not yet feasible and could jeopardize the federal dollars.

Email South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: How long from South Bend to Chicago on South Shore Line's new schedule