South Shore Line's interesting experiment with rush our express service
I didn't write about it at the time, because I was busy with work stuff, but back in March 16, the South Shore Line launched a rush our express service between South Bend and Chicago.
Your average suburban commuter train system is primarily designed to bring people from suburbs to the central city (and, to lesser extent, vice-versa). On weekdays, most riders use trains to get to work, while weekend riders usually use them to have fun in the big city.
Thing is, South Shore Line doesn't quite work like that. Plenty of people in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary, Ogden Dunes, Dune Acres, Chesterton and Beverly Shores take the South Shore Line to work. Michigan City is a bit further away, but it's still doable. But Hudson Lake and South Bend are two hours and two and a half hours away, respectively. There are people who are willing to travel that far - a few years ago, the Tribune had an article about people who commute between Chicago and Milwaukee for work, and word is that some commuters come from as far as the state of Michigan - but these "supercommuters" are exceptions that prove the rule.
When South Bend residents take the South Shore Line all the way to Chicago, it's usually for weekend and holiday trips.
The new express service isn't necessarily trying to attract more "supercommuters." Rather, the plan was to attract business travelers. The morning train leaves earlier than any local trains, departing at 6:00 AM (Eastern Time) and making only two stops - one at Dune Park and one at East Chicago - arriving in downtown Chicago in a little under two hours, at 6:56 AM (Central Time).
First Sunrise Express train arrives at Millenium Station (via Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune)
Before the express was launched, the earliest South Bend-Chicago train left the airport at 6:23 AM (Eastern Time) and arrived in Chicago at 8:08 (Central Time), taking a total of a little under 2 hours and 36 minutes. According to South Bend Tribune, the express is not only 40 minutes faster, but arrives at more convinient time for business meetinsgs.
(Incidentally, after the express was launched, NICTD cut the South Bend-Michigan City portion of the 6:23 AM South Bend-Chicago trip - presumably because the transit agency figured that, with the express, the local wouldn't get enough South Bend passengers to make the trip worthwhile. However, it also means that Hudson Lake passengers now can't go west at all until 8:12 AM. I'm not sure if there were any riders who missed having that option - Hundson Lake has the lowest ridership in the entire system - but I can't help but feel bad for them).
The return express train leaves downtown Chicago at 3:57 PM (Central) and arriving in South bend at 6:55 PM (Central), taking a little over two hours.
At the same time, South Shore Line tinkered with Michigan City-Chicago weekend schedules, rescheduling the 5:43 train so it expresses until it reaches Hammond, cutting seven minutes from the trip, which is... something, I guess. And there are a few other, small tweaks that are irrelevant for the purpose of this post.
The Sunrise Express is a pilot program that will last for 1 year. If it's successful, NCTD hopes to introduce more exresses. Its ultimate goal is to speed up the traffic even more by adding a second passenger track between Gary and Michigan City. The line used to have two tracks all the way to Michigan City city limits, but they got taken out in the early 70s (this was back when South Shore Line was owned by a freight railroad company that, at time, was looking to save money on maintenance). According to the South Bend Tribune article, this would allow NICTD to speed up the Sunrise Express up to 90 minutes.
According to the Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune, while speeding up South Bend-Chicago travel is a major priority, NICTD ultimately hopes the Dunes, Beverly Shores, Michigan City and the surrounding towns more commuter-friendly.
"If we can offer two to three express trains in the morning, now you've given opportunity for someone looking to buy that first house," said [NICTD General Manager Mike Noland[ He said new residents will be attracted by Northwest Indiana's lower taxes and beachfront lifestyle. "We have so much to offer, but we need to unlock that potential."
Saving minutes to commuters is key, he said. For example, Noland would like to see a trip from Michigan City to Chicago take just 60 minutes and 38 minutes from Ogden Dunes.
"We then become a true suburb of Chicago. It will keep young people here, retain them and attract so-called millennials," he said.
I'm not entirely sure that would work. As I said before, Michigan City has certain charms, but Dune Acres, Beverly Shores and Ogden Dunes has nice homes, great parkland, nice beaches and not much else. If you want to live in Beverly Shores, you have to go to Michigan City to buy anything beyond the most basic groceries and supplies. Plus, in Chicago, where Metra commuter lines have been around for over a hundred years and there are plenty of express trains to take advantage of, the population tends suggest that Millennials are far more likely to move to the city. In my work reporting about suburbs close to the Chicago city limits, I keep hearing city and village governments talk about what they can do to attract more young people.
Now, the express trains might actually encourage more young families to settle in towns, villages and cities along the South Shore Line, but even then, things are tricky. The school district that serves the Dunes enjoys a decent reputation, while Michigan City school district (which also serves Beverly Shores and other nearby towns) has the opposite reputation.
I think having more expresses would have some effect. Knowing that they will have quick, convenient access to Chicago could affect home-buying decisions. And it is always possible that the expresses would encourage the kind of development that would change the character of the towns along the Dunes... Which I'm not sure I would be happy about, and I doubt locals would be too keen on, either. But that's a whole other can of worms.
For now, we know that the Sunrise Express has led to a 5% increase in morning ridership, bringing in about 100 more passengers, which is in line with NICTD goals of 80-100 passenger increase. The agency hopes that this summer will lead to further increases as South Bend and Dunes area families take advantage of the express to make day trips.
It will be interesting to see whether this actual pans out.
Your average suburban commuter train system is primarily designed to bring people from suburbs to the central city (and, to lesser extent, vice-versa). On weekdays, most riders use trains to get to work, while weekend riders usually use them to have fun in the big city.
Thing is, South Shore Line doesn't quite work like that. Plenty of people in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary, Ogden Dunes, Dune Acres, Chesterton and Beverly Shores take the South Shore Line to work. Michigan City is a bit further away, but it's still doable. But Hudson Lake and South Bend are two hours and two and a half hours away, respectively. There are people who are willing to travel that far - a few years ago, the Tribune had an article about people who commute between Chicago and Milwaukee for work, and word is that some commuters come from as far as the state of Michigan - but these "supercommuters" are exceptions that prove the rule.
When South Bend residents take the South Shore Line all the way to Chicago, it's usually for weekend and holiday trips.
The new express service isn't necessarily trying to attract more "supercommuters." Rather, the plan was to attract business travelers. The morning train leaves earlier than any local trains, departing at 6:00 AM (Eastern Time) and making only two stops - one at Dune Park and one at East Chicago - arriving in downtown Chicago in a little under two hours, at 6:56 AM (Central Time).
First Sunrise Express train arrives at Millenium Station (via Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune)
Before the express was launched, the earliest South Bend-Chicago train left the airport at 6:23 AM (Eastern Time) and arrived in Chicago at 8:08 (Central Time), taking a total of a little under 2 hours and 36 minutes. According to South Bend Tribune, the express is not only 40 minutes faster, but arrives at more convinient time for business meetinsgs.
(Incidentally, after the express was launched, NICTD cut the South Bend-Michigan City portion of the 6:23 AM South Bend-Chicago trip - presumably because the transit agency figured that, with the express, the local wouldn't get enough South Bend passengers to make the trip worthwhile. However, it also means that Hudson Lake passengers now can't go west at all until 8:12 AM. I'm not sure if there were any riders who missed having that option - Hundson Lake has the lowest ridership in the entire system - but I can't help but feel bad for them).
The return express train leaves downtown Chicago at 3:57 PM (Central) and arriving in South bend at 6:55 PM (Central), taking a little over two hours.
At the same time, South Shore Line tinkered with Michigan City-Chicago weekend schedules, rescheduling the 5:43 train so it expresses until it reaches Hammond, cutting seven minutes from the trip, which is... something, I guess. And there are a few other, small tweaks that are irrelevant for the purpose of this post.
The Sunrise Express is a pilot program that will last for 1 year. If it's successful, NCTD hopes to introduce more exresses. Its ultimate goal is to speed up the traffic even more by adding a second passenger track between Gary and Michigan City. The line used to have two tracks all the way to Michigan City city limits, but they got taken out in the early 70s (this was back when South Shore Line was owned by a freight railroad company that, at time, was looking to save money on maintenance). According to the South Bend Tribune article, this would allow NICTD to speed up the Sunrise Express up to 90 minutes.
According to the Northwest Indiana Post-Tribune, while speeding up South Bend-Chicago travel is a major priority, NICTD ultimately hopes the Dunes, Beverly Shores, Michigan City and the surrounding towns more commuter-friendly.
"If we can offer two to three express trains in the morning, now you've given opportunity for someone looking to buy that first house," said [NICTD General Manager Mike Noland[ He said new residents will be attracted by Northwest Indiana's lower taxes and beachfront lifestyle. "We have so much to offer, but we need to unlock that potential."
Saving minutes to commuters is key, he said. For example, Noland would like to see a trip from Michigan City to Chicago take just 60 minutes and 38 minutes from Ogden Dunes.
"We then become a true suburb of Chicago. It will keep young people here, retain them and attract so-called millennials," he said.
I'm not entirely sure that would work. As I said before, Michigan City has certain charms, but Dune Acres, Beverly Shores and Ogden Dunes has nice homes, great parkland, nice beaches and not much else. If you want to live in Beverly Shores, you have to go to Michigan City to buy anything beyond the most basic groceries and supplies. Plus, in Chicago, where Metra commuter lines have been around for over a hundred years and there are plenty of express trains to take advantage of, the population tends suggest that Millennials are far more likely to move to the city. In my work reporting about suburbs close to the Chicago city limits, I keep hearing city and village governments talk about what they can do to attract more young people.
Now, the express trains might actually encourage more young families to settle in towns, villages and cities along the South Shore Line, but even then, things are tricky. The school district that serves the Dunes enjoys a decent reputation, while Michigan City school district (which also serves Beverly Shores and other nearby towns) has the opposite reputation.
I think having more expresses would have some effect. Knowing that they will have quick, convenient access to Chicago could affect home-buying decisions. And it is always possible that the expresses would encourage the kind of development that would change the character of the towns along the Dunes... Which I'm not sure I would be happy about, and I doubt locals would be too keen on, either. But that's a whole other can of worms.
For now, we know that the Sunrise Express has led to a 5% increase in morning ridership, bringing in about 100 more passengers, which is in line with NICTD goals of 80-100 passenger increase. The agency hopes that this summer will lead to further increases as South Bend and Dunes area families take advantage of the express to make day trips.
It will be interesting to see whether this actual pans out.