NICTD secures $27.5 million RRIF loan for Double Track Project
The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) received a $27.5 million Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Build America Bureau.
The RRIF loan will support construction activity for the $649.5-million South Shore Double Track Project, which will add a second track between Gary and Michigan City, Ind., to deliver more competitive passenger rail service options.
“We are pleased to help finance the Double Track Project, which will increase safety, reliability and cut travel time by one-third for commuters from Michigan City to Chicago,” said USDOT Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg. “This project will deliver improved trip options, taking vehicles off the road and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”
“The South Shore Line upgrades will not only benefit commuters, but the entire region, as transit-oriented development is induced, and new jobs are created,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian. “Eliminating shared use of the single track and the road/train crossings greatly enhances safety for riders and drivers.”
The South Shore Double Track Project is also being partially funded with $24 million through the American Rescue Act and through the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants Program. The project was awarded a $172.96 million Full Funding Grant Agreement in January 2021.
Additionally, the Double Track RRIF loan is the second such loan NICTD has secured. The district received a $203.3 million RRIF loan in June 2022 for help in delivering the West Lake Corridor Commuter Rail Project, which is an eight-mile extension of the South Shore Line between Dyer and Hammond, Ind.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
