Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad (NICTD)

Michigan City 11th St Stop

The historic station on 11th St between Franklin St and Spring St has been a part of the South Shore since the first trains ran. Many changes have occurred at 11th St over the year. Originally there was a large station building with a bus barn for the South Shore bus service. The bus barn was torn down and became a passenger parking lot. The original station building closed in 1987 and remained boarded up until it was torn down as part of the Double Track Nortwest Indiana project. (The historic facade was saved and will be part of the new station building structure.) Over the years some improvements were made including "streetscape" work done by the city.

The double track project is the largest change in Michigan City in over 100 years. NICTD reconstructed the 11th St corridor providing a separated lane for eastbound traffic and two main tracks stretching from near Michigan Ave all the way to Gary (where they connect to the existing double track to Chicago). High level platforms and gautlets create a 21st Century railroad in the historic corridor.

With the opening of the double track the 11th St station resumes the position of being the primary station for Michigan City with many weekday trains not stopping at Carroll Ave / Shops.


Looking east along 11th St, now a one way street running parallel on the south side of the double track. (Oct 2023)


Looking east from Franklin St at the station platforms. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down Track 2 from the west crosswalk. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down the walkway to the Track 1 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking west from the east end of the Track 1 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking west at the Track 1 platform from Track 2. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down the ramp at the east end of the Track 1 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down the walkway east of the Track 1 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking west down the walkway at the east end of the Track 1 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking west down Track 2 from the east crosswalk. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down Track 2 from the east crosswalk. (Oct 2023)


Looking north across Track 2 at the parking lot. A railing is in place to direct passengers to the Track 2 platform with a tactile warning for passengers crossing the track. (Oct 2023)


Looking west up the ramp at the east end of the Track 2 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down the ramp at the east end of the Track 2 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking west down the Track 2 platform. The walkway to the Track 1 platform is to the left. (Oct 2023)


Looking west down the Track 2 platform. Seating is available on both platforms for passengers waiting for a train. (Oct 2023)


The section of the platform is where the connection to the new station building will be made. (Oct 2023)


Looking west down the ramp at the west end of the Track 2 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking east up the ramp at the west end of the Track 2 platform. (Oct 2023)


Looking west down the Track 2 walkway to Franklin St. (Oct 2023)
Two shelters are available on the Track 2 platforms (with stairs down to the parking lot). The third shelter will be the station building. (Oct 2023)
The new surface parking lot on the north side of the platform between Pine and Cedar St. The lot is accessible from Spring St. The Pine St entrance is closed for construction of the parking structure. (Oct 2023)
Where does the engineer stop the train?


Looking east down the Track 2 platform with the "8" car stopping point. (Oct 2023)


Looking east down the Track 1 platform. "4", "6" and "8" car trains should stop here. (Oct 2023)


Westbound platform markers on the Track 2 platform. (Nov 2023)

Number signs are mounted on the platform canopy to mark where trains should stop. The Track 2 platform is long enough for a full eight car train and is marked so an eastbound train would stop at the west end of the platform (near the station building and Franklin St).

The Track 1 platform is only four cars long. Using the signs trains would stop with any additional cars extending west over Franklin St.


Westbound trains have "Stop Here" signs at the west end of the platform.
With the new station extending to Cedar St the Lafayette St curve can now be seen from the station. The "No Left Turn Train" sign activates with the crossing lights and gates to warn drivers not to turn left in front of a train.


A westbound train approaches the station on Track 2. (Oct 2023)


An eastbound train crosses Lafayette St on Track 1. (Oct 2023)


The westbound train makes the stop at the Track 2 platform. (Oct 2023)


An eastbound train makes the stop at the Track 1 platform. (Oct 2023)


The westbound train departs crossing Franklin St. (Oct 2023)


The eastbound train in the curve at Lafayette St. (Oct 2023)


A place to catch a meet. Behind the railings of the walkway at the east end of 11th St Station. (Feb 2024)


Looking north across the Lafayette St crossing. (Nov 2023)


Traffic lights downtown eastbound along 11th St. (Jan 2024)


Looking west down the 11th St corridor as a westbound waits to cross the Amtrak line. (Apr 2024)

The north side fence along 11th St has escape route gates that can be opened with a crash bar. While people on the wrong side of the fence could go around the end of the fence, the gates allow people to exit without getting closer to the tracks. (These people could be workers or passengers evacuating a train.) (Feb 2024)
 DOUBLE TRACK NORTHWEST INDIANA CONSTRUCTION 

The station closed May 1st, 2021. Busing replaced trains effective February 28th, 2022. The station reopened with trains on October 25th, 2023.


The block between 10th St and 11th St and Franklin St and Spring St is the site of a new retail and apartment complex. (Jan 2023)


A new double track station with high platforms and gauntlet tracks are under construction. (Mar 2023)


This plywood barrier will be removed when the new station building is completed on the north side of the platform. (Feb 2024)


The plywood barrier from the station building side as construction began on the parking structure / station building. (Mar 2024)

A banner posted on the construction fence features an illustration of the apartment / retail building and parking structure / station building under construction. The illustration shows where the facade of the old building will be placed. (Mar 2024)
 

Michigan City 11th St pre Double Track

The historic station building and main parking lot as seen in 2016 after the city completed a streetscape project replacing curbs and adding trees and ornamental lights. As part of the streetscape project a sign was placed in front of the parking area. The lights from the streetscape project have been reinstalled.

On the last street running section of the South Shore in downtown Michigan City, the railroad ran down the middle of 11th St downtown, and 10th St on the west side of town. The white faced building was the old South Shore station (closed in 1987). The parking area to the right is the location of the former South Shore bus garage. Note the traffic signal in the photo below with yellow bulbs where the green lights usually are. These bulbs flashed until a train approached then the lights changed to yellow then red to give a signal to cars not to drive through the platform area while a train was present.
(2009 Photo) Flashing yellow when no train present. The train arrives and the platform protection signal changes.

In 2022 NICTD ended street running in Michigan City. The westbound lane of 11th St became track 2. The eastbound lane of 11th St remains as a single lane road but is physically separated from the tracks. Several options were studied including realigning the track to the first row of properties south of 11th St and moving the 11th St Stop to a new station one block to the west with an 800 car parking lot. Route selection considered three basic paths - just south of the current 11th St, through southern Michigan City following the CSX line and north close to the lakefront.

The facade of the historic station building was saved and stored and will become part of the facade of the new station building.

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