The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District has no end in sight for busing South Shore Line passengers around the site of a derailment near the East Chicago station.
Until Wednesday, NICTD had been alerting riders to busing through Sunday.
The railroad is operating on a weekend/holiday train schedule in the wake of the June 24 South Shore Freight derailment.
In addition, monthly passes valid in June will remain valid in July because of the inconvenience. For mobile app tickets, reach out to App Support for the team’s help. Paper tickets issued for June won’t need to be reissued.
Train passengers will be bused between the Hammond Gateway and East Chicago stations.
No bikes will be permitted on buses.
The railroad advises passengers to be prepared for delays because of the busing.
On June 24, 13 empty coal cars on a long freight train derailed in the evening on the Grand Calumet River Bridge. No one was injured.
However, the overhead catenary system that powers the electric passenger cars suffered extensive damage.
The location on the bridge makes the repair more complicated, NICTD said in a Tuesday social media post.
NICTD is working with partners to design, manufacture and install replacement structures as quickly as possible so the overhead power lines can be reinstalled and regular service can resume, the railroad said.
“We know this disruption has been frustrating for our riders, and we apologize for the inconvenience,” NICTD said. “Teams across NICTD are working every day to limit the impact and provide the best service possible while repairs continue.”
Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
