Post-Tribune staff report
The board of directors of the Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce wants state and local officials to study how commuter rail can be expanded to Valparaiso.
"The extension of commuter rail would be a major step forward to link Valparaiso to the Chicago Loop," said Dave Rose, chairman of the Valparaiso chamber board. "The benefits for Porter County would be significant."
In 2000, the West Lake County major investment study recommended the expansion of commuter rail to ease congestion and promote economic development. The study identified a preferred alignment from Chicago to Munster via Hammond to Valparaiso.
The South Shore line is the third fastest-growing commuter rail line in the United States, according to the American Public Transportation Association and provides the only mass transit service into Chicago for Indiana residents.
Currently, passengers in northern Indiana take between 14,000 and 20,000 trips per day on the South Shore line. In 2006, there were slightly more than 4.2 million passengers on the railroad, a nearly 11 percent increase over 2005, according to the association. Extending rail service to Lowell and Valparaiso from Munster would result in 7,000 additional trips per day.