NICTD - Monon Corridor (Open March 31st, 2026)The Monon Corridor (originally West Lake Line) was completed in November 2025. Revenue service began March 31st, 2026. The line connects to the South Shore Line at CP 69.2 just west of a new Hammond Gateway station. The line physically curves to the south just east of the new Hammond Gateway station. After the curve railroad "Eastbound" is physically southbound and railroad "Westbound" is physically northbound. Station announcements refer to northbound and southbound trains. Mile markers are referred to as "WL" and the mile number, counting down from CP 69.2.Train OperationThe initial operating plan has five peak trains to Chicago and one reverse commute train to Munster. Afternoon peak will has five trains from Chicago and one reverse commute train from Munster. At the north end of the Monon Corridor peak trains continue westbound to Chicago or eastbound to Munster without stopping at Hammond Gateway.Off-peak shuttle trains provide connection between Lakeshore Corridor trains and Monon Corridor stations. Northbound trains terminate at Hammond Gateway and passengers are able to transfer to Lakeshore Corridor trains to continue their trip to Chicago. Passengers may also transfer to or from trains serving stations east of Hammond.  At the south end of the Monon Corridor trains terminate at the Munster / Dyer Main St Station and then return north toward Hammond Gateway. As trains enter the station they pass a Restricting signal. The northbound signal at CP 61.5 conveys permission to move toward Hammond Gateway or into the siding at Munster (as needed). All Monon Corridor trains enter and leave service at Munster / Dyer Main St. Trains shown in siding are intended to illustrate the size of the siding. 
The Amtrak Cardinal service stops in Dyer three days per week in each direction. The Amtrak station is just south of the Munster / Dyer Main St station. Amtrak runs on the CSX railroad tracks next to the Monon Corridor. There is no connection between the Monon Corridor and the CSX line at any point. The only railroad Monon connects to is the NICTD Lakeshore Corridor (historic South Shore Line). Line MapBelow is the complete line map for the Monon Corridor. The line map is intended to show the main line track as a straight line. Curves are not shown. The chart is close to scale along the length of the line but not vertically. Signals are shown at their location but are not to scale. (Originally released plan. Some modifications have been made.) Delay In BlockStopping in CTC territory triggers the "Delay In Block" rule. After stopping trains must not exceed "Restricted Speed" (defined as proceeding able to stop at half of sight distance at no greater than 20 MPH) until a signal allowing a faster speed is clearly seen and there is no obstruction between the train and that signal. Delay In Block applies to trains stopping at the Monon Corridor Hammond Gateway station.At Hammond Gateway the westbound signal is roughly 237 ft from the Monon Corridor platform. The southbound signal is roughly 2310 ft from the platform around a curve. The southbound signal should be able to be seen straight ahead after the train has traveled 879 ft clearing the curve (the signal is 1431 ft away on straight track from that point). The signal can also be seen while the train is in the curve. At South Hammond the next northbound signal is an intermediate. The Delay In Block rules allow passenger trains to continue in the same direction at regular speed if the next signal is an intermediate. South Hammond is immediately north of CP 65.3 and the southbound signal can be seen from a train at the platform. The Munster Ridge Rd station is 3355 ft south of the next northbound signal at CP 64.9 on straight track. Delay in block will apply to northbound trains. The next southbound signal is an intermediate. Meet PointsThe originally proposed schedule (below) did not use the sidings on the Monon Corridor. Most southbound deadhead trains were timed to leave the Hammond layover yard for Munster after the conficting northbound train passes. Four train sets are used for peak trains between Chicago and Munster. A fifth train set is used for the shuttle between Hammond Gateway and Munster.
On the originally proposed schedule, the first four trains from Munster arrive without passengers from the Hammond layover yard then head north (then west) to Chicago. The first train with passengers to Munster each day is from Chicago. The train set reverses direction and becomes the final morning peak train to Chicago. The mid-day shuttle runs without passengers to Munster then makes four round trips. The afternoon peak reverses the pattern with the first afternoon train arriving at Munster returning to Chicago. The next four arrivals terminate in Munster and return to the Hammond layover yard without passengers. The shuttle train makes two more round trips in the evening. The sidings can be used if trains are off schedule. (The actual inaugural schedule has the shuttle running six round trips with passengers during midday and five round trips in the evening.) The chart above shows Monon Corridor passenger trains in red and moves without passengers in gray. The gray and charcoal marks at the top of the chart represent Lakeshore Corridor trains (at the time the draft schedule was created). The "Record of Decision" for the Monon Corridor included two potential schedules, one for integrating the ten peak trains with the Metra Electric schedule and a second for operating trains on the Monon Corridor tracks. The schedules were not final and were not coordinated. The combined schedules are shown below. As noted, peak Monon Corridor trains do not stop at Hammond Gateway (times shown are an estimate for when the train will pass). Off-peak trains will be timed to coordinate with South Shore Line schedules. Deadhead trains are not listed.  An updated time table for the Monon Corridor with a discussion of transfers is available here. |