South Shore Line opens new Monon Corridor extension in northwest Indiana
Officials in northwest Indiana on Tuesday marked the first train service for passengers on a long-awaited expansion of the South Shore Line.
Local leaders hope it will help lure the Chicago Bears across the state line.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun was among the first passengers to board as service officially kicked off for the South Shore Line's new Monon Corridor. Officials touted the expansion of the South Shore Line as a step forward for the region.
"This is a major win for northwest Indiana. The Monon Corridor expands rail access, strengthens connectivity, and positions our region for long-term growth," Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott said.
The 8-mile Monon Corridor is an eight-mile southern extension of the South Shore Line, with four stations between Hammond and Dyer. Passengers on the Monon Corridor can then hop on the Lakeshore Corridor line, which stretches from downtown Chicago to South Bend.
"You're also seeing something else: attention," McDermott said.
Indiana leaders hope the rail expansion attracts major investment in the region.
"Even from organizations like the Chicago Bears taking a serious look at northwest Indiana," McDermott said.
Discussions continue about the Bears' future stadium site, with Hammond offering Wolf Lake as a potential future home. Braun has signed legislation backing an Indiana stadium deal for the Bears, but they're still exploring their options for a site in Arlington Heights.
"They've been doing their own due diligence from the time we wrapped it up, and I'd say, from everything I can see, it's moving forward at a deliberate speed. So, we don't get ahead of our skis. All I can tell you is we move at the speed of business," Braun said.
The governor did not say if an additional rail station closer to the potential Bears stadium site would be offered to sweeten the deal, but he said he's eager to move forward.
"Not going to make any promises, other than we're going to be easy to deal with and we're going to move quickly," Braun said.
Meantime, Illinois state lawmakers continue to negotiate on legislation to provide property tax breaks and infrastructure funding for the Chicago Bears for a stadium in Arlington Heights.
