West Lake Corridor

West Lake Corridor
West Lake Corridor, viewed from the parking entrance of Hammond Gateway station (June 2024)
Overview
StatusUnder construction
LocaleLake County, Indiana, United States
Termini
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemSouth Shore Line
Operator(s)NICTD
Rolling stockNippon Sharyo NICTD EMUs
History
Planned openinglate 2025
Technical
Line length9 mi (14 km)
Number of tracks1 + passing sidings
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead catenary, 1500 V DC
Route map

0
Millennium Station
Metra │ NICTD
0.8 mi
1.3 km
Van Buren Street
1.4 mi
2.3 km
Museum Campus/​11th Street
2.7 mi
4.3 km
McCormick Place (events only)
I-55 (End)
7.0 mi
11.3 km
57th Street
7.9 mi
12.7 km
63rd Street
I-90 / Chicago Skyway
14.5 mi
23.3 km
(Bypassed)
19.0 mi
30.6 km
Hegewisch
reroute
peak hours
20.7 mi
33.3 km
Hammond Gateway
Maintenance and
storage facility
21.9 mi
35.2 km
Downtown Hammond
(future)
24.1 mi
38.8 km
South Hammond
25.3 mi
40.7 km
Munster Ridge Road
Amtrak to Chicago
CN South Bend Subdivision
28.1 mi
45.2 km
Munster/Dyer Main Street
Dyer

The West Lake Corridor project, to be called the Monon Corridor upon opening, is an under-construction commuter rail line in Lake County, Indiana. New South Shore Line services are planned to connect the towns of Munster and Dyer in Indiana with Hammond, Indiana, and Chicago in Illinois. The new branch leaves the South Shore Line's main line at Hammond Gateway station, proceeding as a single-track route to Dyer. Trains will run directly to Chicago during peak hours, and shuttle trains between Hammond and Dyer will run during off-peak hours.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) began planning an extension of the South Shore Line to Valparaiso, Indiana, in 2006 due to population growth in Northwest Indiana. Plans were canceled in 2008 due to lower-than-expected ridership projections. The Indiana General Assembly approved funding for the branch in 2015, and the Federal Transit Administration awarded a grant to the line in 2019. Work started in October 2020, and the branch is expected to open in 2025.