dauber Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 I might be sent to Gary one day for work, and the office is very close to a South Shore stop. How is the South Shore train? Is it pretty safe?? (For comparison's sake, I take the Red Line every day for almost an hour each way.) Usually when one of us has to go to Gary they offer to rent us a car; should I just take the rental car, or would I be okay in a train?? This would only be for one day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 The train itself is fine; the South Shore runs a good commuter operation, and undoubtedly safer than the Red Line. If you are getting off at Metro Center, I would question the neighborhood around there (given the abandoned status of most NW Indiana downtowns), but if you are working near there, anyway.... If it is the Clark Road stop, make sure that there is a van to meet you, since it is in the middle of nowhere, even though it is the stop for the Gary Chicago International Airport.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 I might be sent to Gary one day for work, and the office is very close to a South Shore stop. How is the South Shore train? Is it pretty safe?? (For comparison's sake, I take the Red Line every day for almost an hour each way.) Usually when one of us has to go to Gary they offer to rent us a car; should I just take the rental car, or would I be okay in a train?? This would only be for one day... The S.S. is a lot of fun to ride. Maybe if youre going to work youd think otherwise!. But it is an interesting operation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dauber Posted March 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2010 Well, turns out my boss and I are going to carpool in, so dilemma solved. Thanks for the comments, though...and for not pointing out my typo...arrghhh!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 Took a train ride on the SS for the first time in a long time yesterday. I rode the Highliner from downtown to Gary, and I obssrved the following: East of track 14 there were two SS trains stored there. Last I remember, the oldest of the ME Highliners used to be stored there. The old ME Highliner cars are in really bad shape. Though they run fine seemingly when I ride them, they really look beaten. I love the SS Highliners. The interior seats are wine and gray, and though the seats look like they are individual seats, they are reversible like the newer Metra Highliners. I know Busjack isn't a fan of the big windows, but they look better in SS gray tint than Metra's green tint. These cars have Mr. Metra's "caution, the doors are about to close" automated recording, but none of the station recordings (conductors still do that) nor the scrolling signs that Metra has. Hyde Park hospital, or Doctor's hospital at 58th and Stony Island is being torn down. At 115th, it looks like they have added a third track (which becomes track four north of the station). I'm guessing this is the bypass track that SS will eventually use when the Kensington project is complete. As of now the crossover from SS to the Metra tracks does not connect to this new track. I remember riding in every morning on the SS on the express train, yet we had to sit in the Kensington station and wait for an inbound Metra to pass on track 1 and once it switched to track 3 or 4, then we could proceed.. I never understood that since on some very early mornings, I've seen an inbound SS express on track 4 and an inbound express ME on track 1. In Gary, I noticed an old train station north of the tollroad. It looks huge, though completely battered and tattered. It looked like it was a grand old place but seriously neglected. GPTC seems to have some newer buses since that last time I was there. I kept missing getting close to one but I will guess that they are Gilligs. It makes me sad that Gary has so much potential to be a great city, but there is no vision, no plan on the part of its leadership (especially Mayor Rudy Clay), its residents, and it is so sad it actually makes me mad. End of rant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted April 9, 2011 Report Share Posted April 9, 2011 I don't have any objection to the big windows. FRA seems to mandate them. As for the last paragraph, Gary still has its industry, and 2 casinos, but appears to have lost its population to Merrilville. The political infighting has also stymied efforts to get an integrated NW Indiana bus system. Hammond turned over theirs, but GPTC won't, although I can see the point that if they have taxing power, they don't want to lose any benefit of it. Also, checking the Times with regard to regional bus, apparently that's the end for Clay. Nothing new on the former front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 NICTD has announced on their news page that effective Feb. 15, 2012, they no longer will stop at Kensington, since the bypass is complete, and Indiana fares go up so Hegewisch riders don't go to Hammond. According to the minutes, fewer than 70 passengers each weekday are affected by not stopping at Kensington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwantae Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 NICTD has announced on their news page that effective Feb. 15, 2012, they no longer will stop at Kensington, since the bypass is complete, and Indiana fares go up so Hegewisch riders don't go to Hammond. According to the minutes, fewer than 70 passengers each weekday are affected by not stopping at Kensington. Wow! I just recently rode the South Shore Train between Ogden Dunes/ Portage IN Stop and Kensington Station to transfer to Electric Metra to Matteson (Which where I live at) on A Saturday before Christmas last year and I did seen couple people transferring same way as me. So If I do this again, it means that I have to transfer all the way at Hyde Park? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 So If I do this again, it means that I have to transfer all the way at Hyde Park? Well. that's what they said, i.e. 57th is the transfer point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 NICTD has announced on their news page that effective Feb. 15, 2012, they no longer will stop at Kensington, since the bypass is complete, and Indiana fares go up so Hegewisch riders don't go to Hammond. According to the minutes, fewer than 70 passengers each weekday are affected by not stopping at Kensington. I'm sad to see this happen as I used to switch between the two trains there. This should speed up the Northbound commute in that some trains that don't stop at Kensington won't have to wait in the station for a NB Metra to pass on the other track to get in front. I need to ride again to see if the SB trains will follow the current alignment or if they will switch to the bypass track before 115th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainman8119 Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 I need to ride again to see if the SB trains will follow the current alignment or if they will switch to the bypass track before 115th. Southbound trains will be running along the same alignment as always. A new crossover alignment has been installed at 113th street (or so) that will put their trains onto the CN tracks and onto the South Shore. Rumor has it the current "ladder track" will be removed(that would be totally silly as it would provide an alternative if needed, but with the current Metra "know how" that would make sense). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted February 2, 2013 Report Share Posted February 2, 2013 A bit of trivia for this topic. The November 2012 Minutes indicate that among other problems (a power line fell on the track and the return power damaged a substation), "an automobile fouli[ed] the track in Gary." Somebody better housetrain those automobiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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