South Shore Line approves 5 percent fare increase

It's going to cost more to ride the South Shore Line.

Friday, the South Shore Line Board of Trustees voted to increase fares 5 percent across the board.

The increase is to help finish installing positive train control on rail lines. It is a vital safety system.

The increase takes effect July 1st.

The railroad held five public hearings in April in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties.

"This fare increase is being implemented to help financially support the critical Positive Train Control (PTC) project that is currently underway not only at our railroad, but at railroads across the United States," said Michael Noland, President of the South Shore Line. "We valued the comments received from our passengers, as they help us better understand their concerns and values," he added. "While we did hear from some people opposing the increase, the fact that it is focused on safety improvements also brought in positive comments from riders."

Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District operates the South Shore Line between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in South Bend.