The South Shore Line takes riders along Lake Michigan and into Chicago. The service originates at the South Bend Airport and ends the run at the last Hoosier station in Hammond, Indiana. The rail service continues into Chicago, with the final stop at the downtown Millennium Station. The South Shore train makes stops at Hudson Lake in LaPorte County, Carroll Avenue and 11th Street in Michigan City, Beverly Shores in Porter County, Dune Park in Chesterton and the Portage and Ogden Dunes on Hillcrest Road. The last two stops along the route are in the large urban centers of Gary and East Chicago. Gary has three stations: Metro Center, the airport and the Miller Station. The East Chicago stop offers more than 1,000 free parking spaces and the last Indiana stop, Hammond, also offers commuter parking, with more than 700 spaces for early arrivals.
Tickets may be purchased at station vending machines, from cashiers in larger stations and from conductors on the trains. Fares are based on the length of the travel.
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District
Customer Service Department
33 E. U.S. Highway 12
Chesterton, IN 46304
291-926-5744
nictd.com
Amtrak operates the daily Lake Shore Limited that originates in New York and delivers riders at the end of the line to Chicago. The trip makes stops at the northern Indiana stations of South Bend, Elkhart and Waterloo. The South Bend station is located in a transportation hub that includes bus and air service. Parking is free for riders boarding in Waterloo and paid by the hour or day at the Elkhart and South Bend parking lots. Reservations, made by phone or online, are required, and fees are based on the boarding station and the age of the rider.
Amtrak: Lake Shore Limited
800-872-7245
amtrak.com
The Cardinal/Hoosier State Train, operated daily by Amtrak, offers riders a chance to detrain at a Hoosier stop in northern Indiana at Dyer, approximately 43 miles from Chicago and nearly 150 miles from the Amtrak station in Indianapolis, the Hoosier capital city. The Dyer stop allows boarding under a weather shelter, but no other services are provided.
Amtrak: Cardinal Hoosier State Train
800-872-7245
amtrak.com
While several of the Amtrak trains servicing Michigan travel through northern Indiana, the stops in the Hoosier State are limited to only two stations. Rail travelers on the Pere Marquette, a daily service between Chicago and Grand Rapids, the Wolverine, another daily into Chicago connecting with Pontiac, Michigan, and the Blue Water, a daily train linking Port Huron to the Windy City, make stops in Indiana. There are multiple departures of these trains daily, but only two stops are made in northern Indiana, one at Hammond and the other at Michigan City, just minutes from downtown Chicago.
Amtrak Michigan Services
800-872-7245
amtrak.com
