Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District trustees on Thursday voted 9-0 to hold public hearings on proposed fare increases that would range from 10 to 15 percent at individual stations.
The increases would boost the current $5.25 fare from Hammond to Chicago to $6 for the one-way trip. The current South Bend to Chicago fare of $11.75 would increase to $13. Other stations would see similar increases.
Under the proposal, those paying fares on the train after boarding at stations that have ticket agents or ticket machines would pay $2 more for their ticket.
NICTD General Manager Michael Noland said the railroad is pitching the ticket agent and machine prices as a discounted ticket price. In the past, the onboard surcharge, currently $1, was characterized as a penalty.
The South Shore's last fare increase was 5 percent in 2012. The board of the Chicago region's Metra commuter rail system approved an 11 percent fare hike last November.
The South Shore fare increase will produce about $1.5 million in additional revenue for NICTD.
Noland said the South Shore increase in part is meant to keep up the contribution of fares to the railroad's overall budget. That allows NICTD officials to demonstrate the railroad is doing its best to support itself when making pitches to the General Assembly to help with future projects, Noland said.
Under the proposal approved Thursday, the hearings on the fare increase will be held in late April in South Bend, Hammond, Chesterton, Gary and Michigan City. Exact times and places will be announced soon.
NICTD trustee and governor's appointee David Pranckus said the $2 extra charged for those buying tickets on board trains should be carefully examined. Some stations have ticket-vending machines only, and those do not accept cash.
"There are millions of people in the United States who don't have credit cards or debit cards and so the $2 fee seems unfair to me," Pranckus said.
Noland said that is one of many issues NICTD can keep abreast of through the upcoming hearing process.
The board also approved several resolutions that will allow NICTD to bond for federally required safety improvements known as positive train control. It is basically a system of computerized control, command and communications for trains that has the potential to remove much of the risk of human error in train operations.
The board also approved an amendment to its trackage rights agreement with Metra in Chicago. In four months, NICTD will start paying Metra $12,500 per train for its new Sunrise Express into Chicago and its companion train that returns to South Bend in the evening.