[Southsider2k12]

http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20...9/-1/googleNews

South Shore plans weekend outage

This weekend's South Shore service between South Bend and Gary is a planned service outage because of construction.

South Shore will not operate train or bus service in either direction between South Bend and Gary Metro Center from 2:30 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Monday.

Stations affected by the outage include South Bend, Hudson Lake, Carroll Avenue, 11th Street in Michigan City, Beverly Shores, Dune Park, Portage/Ogden Dunes and Miller.

On the South Shore outage weekends, Amtrak will add additional Wolverine trains in Michigan City, providing service to and from Chicago.

Amtrak reservations are required and can be made by calling 800-USA-RAIL (872-7245) or online at www.Amtrak.com.

For more South Shore information, visit www.nictd.com.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/transport...dd260c24fb.html

South Shore announces temporary weekend outages

South Shore announces temporary weekend outages

The South Shore commuter rail line is planning temporary weekend outages, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District announced Wednesday.

During the outages, train and bus service will be suspended in both directions between South Bend and the Gary Metro Center from 2:30 a.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Monday. The outages will take place this weekend and the weekends beginning Oct. 2, Oct. 23 and Nov. 6.

Regular weekend train service will continue between the Gary Metro Center and Chicago during the outages.

Stations affected by the outage include South Bend, Hudson Lake, Carroll Avenue and 11th Street in Michigan City, Beverly Shores, Dune Park, Portage/Ogden Dunes and Miller.

Passengers affected by the outages are encouraged to drive to the East Chicago Station 2.6 miles north of Interstate 94 on Indianapolis Boulevard. The station there has restrooms, free parking and high-level boarding..

The 2010 weekend outages represent Phase II of NICTD's overhead wire modernization program between Michigan City and Gary. The overhead wire or catenary supplies electricity for train propulsion.

The $18 million, three-year project will replace more than 100 miles of electrical conductor designed in the 1920s which is outdated and subject to failure, NICTD said.

Representatives said those failures are the leading cause of significant service disruptions and lengthy delays.

During the outages, Amtrak will stop three additional Wolverine trains in Michigan City, providing weekend service to Chicago. Reservations are required for travel on Amtrak trains. Information is available at www.Amtrak.com or at (800) USA-RAIL.

Passengers flying into O'Hare International or Midway airports are encouraged to use Coach USA. Information on Coach USA services is available at www.coachusa.com.

More information about the South Shore outages is available at http://www.nictd.com.

[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/transport...18492276a1.html

South Shore service interruptions planned this weekend

* Story
* Discussion

South Shore service interruptions planned this weekend

By Times Staff nwi.com | Posted: Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:00 pm | (2) Comments

Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size

*
*

The South Shore commuter rail line will have temporary service outages this weekend for construction, representatives announced Thursday.

The South Shore line will not operate train or shuttle bus service in either direction between South Bend and the Gary Metro Center from 2:30 a.m. Saturday until 3 a.m. Monday and also the weekend of Nov. 6.

Regular weekend train service will continue between the Gary Metro Center and Chicago during the outages. Stations impacted by the outage are South Bend, Hudson Lake, Carroll Avenue and 11th Street in Michigan City, Beverly Shores, Dune Park, Portage/Ogden Dunes and Miller.

Passengers are encouraged to drive to the East Chicago station, 2.6 miles north of Interstate 94 on Indianapolis Boulevard, during the construction outages. The modern station has restrooms, a large parking lot with free parking and high-level boarding.

The 2010 weekend outages are part of the second year of Phase II of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's overhead wire modernization program between Michigan City and Gary. The overhead wire — or catenary — supplies electricity for train propulsion. The $18 million, three-year project will replace more than 100 miles of electrical conductor originally designed in the 1920s.

NICTD representatives said the wires are "old and brittle and subject to failure."

"These failures are the single leading cause of significant service disruptions and lengthy train delays," according to a news release issued by NICTD.

The construction plan calls for NICTD's contractor to upgrade many of the components while the trains continue to operate. The contractor, however, must have uninterrupted weekend access to the track in order to remove old wire and suspend new wire. Nearly all of Phase II work will be done in single track territory requiring temporary weekend service outages.

During the outages, Amtrak will run three additional Wolverine trains in Michigan City, providing weekend service to and from Chicago. Reservations are required for travel on Amtrak trains. For reservations, schedule and fare information, visit www.Amtrak.com or call (800) USA-RAIL (800-872-7245).

For passengers flying into O'Hare International or Midway airports, they still can get to points in Indiana by using Coach USA, which provides bus transportation to and from Midway and O'Hare to various cities in northern Indiana. More information is available online at www.coachusa.com.

More information about the South Shore outages is available at www.nictd.com.