South Shore Line riders are having to take the bus between Hammond Gateway and East Chicago, Ind., after a freight train derailment on June 24 knocked out part of the catenary.

The derailment occurred on the Grand Calumet River Bridge between East Chicago and Hammond, and involved 13 empty coal cars. While there was no damage to the bridge itself, it resulted in heavy damage to the catenary supports. Because the derailment happened on the bridge, repairs have taken longer than anticipated. South Shore has not given a timeline for when regular service will resume. In the meantime, passengers are having to take buses between the Hammond Gateway and East Chicago stations. Passengers who purchased a monthly pass in June will also have their pass honored in July due to delays caused by the derailment. 

The South Shore Line is operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and is considered by many to be America’s last interurban railroad. The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad began operations in 1903. In the 1970s, passenger operations were spun off to the State of Indiana. The freight railroad is now part of Anacostia Rail Holdings Company.

—Justin Franz