East Chicago station

East Chicago is a train station at 5615 Indianapolis Boulevard in East Chicago, Indiana.[2] It serves the South Shore Line commuter rail line from Chicago, Illinois to South Bend, Indiana.

East Chicago
General information
Location5615 Indianapolis Boulevard
East Chicago, Indiana
Coordinates41°36′43″N 87°28′46″W
Owned byNICTD
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsEast Chicago Bus Transit and Gary Public Transportation Corporation Buses
Construction
Parking1,200 spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone4
History
Opened1956
Rebuilt1982, 2004
Electrified1500v DC
Passengers
20191,493 (average weekday)[1]
Services
Preceding station NICTD Following station
Hammond
toward Millennium Station
 South Shore Line Gary Airport
toward South Bend Airport
Future services
Preceding station NICTD Following station
Hammond Gateway
toward Millennium Station
 South Shore Line Gary Airport
toward South Bend Airport
Location

History

The station was built in 1956 as part of a South Shore Line project that removed a street running section on Chicago Avenue and placed the line on an elevated roadbed parallel to the Indiana Toll Road in order to improve speed and mitigate traffic issues. Prior to that, South Shore Line trains stopped in downtown East Chicago. In 2004 the station was remodeled with high level platforms to assist passengers with disabilities, and to decrease station dwell times.[2]

Facilities

East Chicago consists of a single high-level island platform situated between two gauntlet tracks which permit the passage of freight trains. The northern track provides service to Chicago while the southern track services Michigan City and South Bend. At this location the South Shore Line is situated on an embankment and the platform traverses Indianapolis Boulevard. The station building is located east of Indianapolis Boulevard at ground level.[3] The station is equipped with ticket vending machines; staffed service ended in 2017.[4] Adjacent to the station is a parking lot with capacity for 1,200 cars.[3]

NICTD approved a $4.4 million construction project in March 2019 to increase passenger access at East Chicago.[5]

Bus connections

East Chicago Transit

  • Route 1
  • Route 2
  • Route 4

GPTC

  • Route Route R1: Lakeshore Connection

References
  1. "2020 State of the System Report" (PDF). Metra. November 2020. p. SSL-4.
  2. Longest, David E. (2007). Railroad Depots of Northern Indiana. Arcadia Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 9780738541310.
  3. "South Shore Stations, Locations, Address, Directions". Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  4. Steele, Andrew (February 27, 2017). "South Shore's East Chicago ticket office closing as electronic sales rise". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  5. Zorn, Tim (March 25, 2019). "NICTD: $4.4M East Chicago train platform project to begin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
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