Construction disrupts South Shore Line service starting Sunday

South Shore Line service to Chicago will be affected Sunday by construction of a fourth rail line into Millennium Station. Bridge construction near Portage will require busing Monday through Thursday between Dune Park and Gary.

There will be no service to the Museum Campus and Van Buren Street station Sunday, either by train or bus.

Instead, buses will transport passengers between Millennium Station and Metra’s 18th Street station. Passengers who would normally use Van Bureau or 18th Street stations will have to decide whether to use the 18th Street or Millennium Station stops Sunday.

Train passengers traveling to and from 57th Street Station will not be affected.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore Line, said the bus ride between Millennium Station and 18th Street will take about 10 minutes.

Passengers with bikes will need to use the McCormick Place stop Sunday because bikes will be prohibited on buses.

Passengers with mobility issues and difficulty using stairs should use the McCormick Place station when busing occurs because the 18th Street station contains a large flight of stairs.

There’s a special timetable for Sunday’s special 18th Street Station stops, in effect during busing.

Agents will be available at the 18th Street, Millennium and McCormick Place stations to help passengers safely transfer between trains and buses.

The $650 million construction project, one of the largest in the South Shore Line’s history, will expand capacity through the area north of 18th Street to accommodate additional South Shore trains.

The work includes track realignments and upgrades to the catenary system that supplies power to the trains. The South Shore Line is staging construction to minimize inconveniences to weekday rush hour trains. When it’s completed, the project will result in increased train capacity on Metra’s system, allowing additional South Shore trains and speeding travel times.

Busing between the Miller and Dune Park stations will occur Monday through overnight Thursday, 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. That affects eastbound trains 33, 133, 35 and 101. Other trains are on their normal schedule.

Riders who use the Portage/Ogden Dunes station will be dropped off there by buses en route to Dune Park.

Bikes will not be permitted on buses.

The buses will be used because of bridge construction near the South Shore Line’s tracks in Portage.

The South Shore Line warns that while the buses are being timed to match train schedules, delays are possible.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.