Railroad merger could mean more trains in Chesterton

Chesterton is known for its trains, and if Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific go through with their merger there could be even more daily traffic coming down the tracks.

That’s the opinion of Chesterton Councilman James Ton, R-1st.

“There’s going to be more trains through here than we got rails,” Ton predicted at Monday’s Redevelopment Commission meeting.

Chesterton already has more than its share of trains, with an average of 85 per day passing through the town’s 1.14-mile rail corridor. Most of them travel the twin set of tracks owned by Norfolk Southern that run through the town’s heart, north of Broadway. CSX also has its own set of tracks that are shared by Amtrak.

Ton said he has already seen Union Pacific trains come through Chesterton, usually on the weekends, as he suspects that’s when they rent usage of the Norfolk Southern tracks.

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern recently submitted their comprehensive application for the merger to the federal Surface Transportation Board. If approved, the combination of the two major freight haulers would provide the first coast-to-coast service in the United States.

Norfolk Southern has a network of tracks in 22 eastern states, while Union Pacific covers 23 western states. The potential merger is being touted by its shareholders as an economic boon, but has drawn opposition from trade groups, unions and the rival carrier, Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

On the local level in Chesterton, the concern is about the impact on pedestrian safety.

Chesterton and the neighboring town of Porter have 11 railroad crossings, with nine of them involving pedestrian traffic.

Three pedestrians have been killed by trains since May 2023. The last death occurred on Feb. 28, 2025, when a bicyclist at the Calumet Road crossing failed to notice that there were two trains passing each other.

The Calumet Road crossing in the center of town is of particular concern for town officials.

This past summer, the town opened a new parking lot on Grant Avenue, just north of the tracks by Calumet Road. The lot is popular with those who visit the European Market, which runs on Saturdays from May through October.

More pedestrians walking across the tracks raises the potential danger for pedestrians.

The town has installed a fence at the parking lot and there are signs. The town’s Redevelopment Commission approved the town going forward with building a Z-gate crossing at Calumet Road.

A Z-gate crossing would cause pedestrians to walk zig-zag when approaching the tracks, so they would look both ways.

Assistant Town Engineer Matt Gavelek said Monday they are starting to go through the permit process with the railroad to allow the Z-gates to be built. He said he didn’t believe it could happen before the European Market resumes on Saturdays in May.

Chesterton has learned that dealing with the railroad permitting process takes time.

“I am suspecting the railroad is dragging their feet a little bit because they want to settle this merger one way or another,” Ton said.

Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.