FAQ

Due to Double Track NWI project construction and related busing between stations, no bikes will be permitted between South Bend and East Chicago stations until further notice. Bikes are welcome on select weekday and weekend/holiday trains at specific stations identified on the train schedule. Click here for more information or download the Bikes on Weekend Trains brochure.

Bicyclists may board and detrain only from hi-level platforms. South Bend, 11th Street Michigan City, Dune Park, Portage/Ogden Dunes, Miller, East Chicago, Hammond, Hegewisch, and all Metra stations. Bikes will NOT be loaded or off loaded at low level platforms.

Bike cars could be positioned at any location in the train – look for a bike symbol prominently located on the windows of bike rack-equipped train cars.

Operating crews are not to handle bicycles. Movement of the bicycle in and out of bike rack is the responsibility of the bike owner.

Bike space will be handled on a first come, first serve basis. Space is not guaranteed on an initial or return trip (including late trains).

Train crews have the final authority on accommodating bicycles. Crews may prohibit a cyclist from boarding due to overcrowding.

No additional fare collection applies for a bicycle brought aboard a train.

In the event of an emergency evacuation, cyclists must leave their bicycles on the train.

Children 10 years of age and older are permitted to travel alone.

Up to three children thirteen (13) years of age and under ride free when accompanied by a parent on all weekend, holiday and off-peak weekday trains. Additionally, children 13 and under always receive a reduced rate of half fare.  An accompanying adult must be a parent or legal guardian and at least 21 years of age.

Strollers are permitted on trains, but since space is limited, umbrella or collapsable strollers are preferred for easier stowing.

Due to safety concerns and potential liability to our company, we will no longer assist passengers in lifting strollers on and off the train while a child remains in the stroller.

This is not intended to deny or prevent services to our passengers with children using strollers. However, we will require that the child be removed from the stroller before a train crew member will assist in loading or removing the stroller from the train. Whenever possible the stroller should be folded before being placed on the train and not unfolded until the stroller is removed from the train.

In instances where ADA assistance is required, please follow the ADA guidelines and use the wheelchair lift and ramps at designated station stops.

If a fellow passenger is acting inappropriately, please inform the nearest South Shore Line employee. South Shore Line reserves the right to remove disorderly passengers.

While headphones are permitted, please keep the volume to a modest level so that fellow passengers cannot hear your music.

You are welcome to use your cell phone; however, we request that you speak in a low volume and keep your phone on vibrate. In quiet cars, the last car in rush hour trains, we do not permit the use of cell phones.

Please pay the fare requested at that time, ask for and keep the receipt, then contact the Manager, Passenger Revenue, NICTD, 503 North Carroll Avenue, Michigan City, IN 46360-5026 with your account of the matter.

Children under two years of age ride free in the arms or lap of an adult passenger.

Three children under fourteen years of age ride free when accompanied by a parent on all weekend, holiday and off-peak weekday trains. Additionally, children under 14 always receive a reduced rate of half fare. (Train personnel reserve the right to request proof of age from passengers riding at reduced fare).

Children commuting to accredited elementary, middle and high schools may qualify for a reduced one- way or 25-ride ticket. Please contact SSL for an application. Commuting student tickets are not transferable and are good only for travel to and from regular school classes. Tickets are not valid in the evening, Saturday, Sunday, or holiday travel to and from special or off-campus school-related activities.

Passengers at least 65 years of age are eligible for reduced fare on all NICTD trains. To qualify, the passenger must present a government issued identification card showing proof of age at the time of purchase. Forms of identification may include, but are not limited to, driver’s license, RTA or Medicare Card. Passengers qualifying for RTA Ride Free Permit Cards ride free only between Hegewisch and Chicago; all others pay reduced fares from Chicago to South Bend.

All passengers displaying RTA Reduced Fare Card for Disabilities, NICTD Disability Card, RTA Ride Free Permit Card, RTA Paratransit Card, or Medicare card are eligible for reduced fares on all South Shore Line trains when ID is shown. Contact South Shore Line for information and application for NICTD Disability Card. For train information in alternate formats call 312-836-7000 or TDD through Indiana Relay Services at 800-743-3333. Passengers qualifying for RTA Ride Free Permit Cards ride free only between Hegewisch and Chicago; all others pay reduced fares from Chicago to South Bend.

Active duty military personnel may travel at reduced fare at all times and must show the “Uniformed Services” Common Access Card (CAC).

To receive reimbursement for an unused ticket or if the SSL is providing refunds for one-way tickets due to an extensive delay, you will need to mail your ticket to:

NICTD Attn: Refunds 503 North Carroll Avenue Michigan City, IN 46360

Please include your name, address and phone number with the ticket.

If you would like to request reimbursement for a ticket purchased through the South Shore mobile app, contact app support under “more” in the app.

The SSL holiday schedule is in effect during the official observance of New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  If New Year’s Day, Independence Day, or Christmas Day fall on a Sunday, we operate a weekend/holiday schedule on the following Monday.

The SSL operates a regular weekday schedule on the following holidays (if the holiday falls on a weekday): Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Good Friday, Columbus Day, Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Although SSL is not responsible for lost or stolen items, we do have a lost and found. Please call 219-874-4221 x205 and leave a message concerning a lost item. Items must be claimed at Carroll Ave. Station. After 14 days SSL will dispose of all unclaimed items.

Tickets should be activated once seated aboard the train, prior to the arrival of the collector/conductor. Single trip tickets will be active for 1 hour from the time of activation and monthly passes will be active the entire day until midnight.

This error typically happens when your phone is having an issue connecting to our servers. Rebooting your phone should reestablish your Internet connection and allow you to activate your ticket.

If your ticket is stored on your device, doing a factory reset or deleting the app will cause your ticket to be locked. To avoid this, move your ticket to cloud storage (see below) prior to doing a reset or deleting the app. If you have activated your monthly ticket it cannot be unlocked until after midnight.

Prior to activating a new phone or resetting the phone, it is important that your tickets are moved to our cloud. Go to Menu->Settings->Ticket Storage and move your tickets. After the new phone is activated or reset, you can log into your account and you should see your tickets. You can then move your tickets back to your device. Active tickets cannot be moved.

The most common reason for not being able to see your available tickets is that you may not be logged into your account. Select the Menu->Settings and the button at the bottom will allow you to log into your account. If that does not fix your issue, you may need to kill the app and re-launch it.

Monthly passes can be purchased at any time. Keep in mind that if you purchase your pass on or after the 12th of the month, it cannot be activated until the next calendar month.

On the login screen, there is a link at the bottom right side of the screen that says Forgot Password. Type in your email and it will send you a link to reset your password.

All of our fare policies are available on our website. Click here to be directed.

If you would like to request a refund for a ticket purchased through the South Shore mobile app, contact app support under “more” in the app.

South Shore Line trains are equipped with free WiFi, so whether you want to get a little more work in, or do some relaxing by surfing the web, the SSL has you covered. In order for all passengers to be able to take advantage of this free feature, only general web browsing is recommended. Streaming music, videos or downloading large files are not supported.

Follow these steps in order to connect to the SSL onboard WiFi:

1. Select network SouthShoreWiFi-car number (can numbers are listed on the front of your train car).

2. Agree to the terms of use.

3. You’re connected!

*If you have an IPhone and your phone “goes to sleep”, you will need to reconnect to the internet.

Our onboard WiFi network relies on bandwidth provided by our cellular carriers, which has towers along our routes. The speed and bandwidth of our onboard WiFi will not be the same as what you experience in your home or at your office. Bandwidth available from towers is limited, especially in more rural areas. Web activities that use a large amount of bandwidth will cause a slower connection and speed for other passengers, so please be courteous and do not stream videos.

In order to maximize the amount of onboard bandwidth available to all of our SSL passengers, access to streaming media such as videos or music, as well as large file sizes will be limited. Make all downloads before boarding the SSL train.

South Shore Line WiFi is a public network, therefore, it is not secure and communications can be intercepted. Riders are to be held responsible for securing their data and equipment from viruses, spyware and other harmful components.

If you have trouble connecting to the onboard WiFi, you can report the issue to a SSL conductor or complete a complaint form on the website. If you are on a train car without functioning WiFi, you will need to obtain the train car number that you are on in order to complete the report. The train car number is noted at the front of the car. Once the report is made, the SSL will work to find a resolution.

Parking lots are provided at every station. Get to the Hammond, Gary Metro, and 11th Street stations early on weekdays, as the lots fill up quickly. Parking is free, except for Hegewisch, Gary, and South Bend stations. With questions, contact:

• Hegewisch parking near the railroad is managed by IMPark (Hegewisch): 877-771-7383 (Lot Code 2272)
• Hegewisch parking behind Burger King near the intersection of Brainard and Ave O is managed by CPS call 877-717-0004
• Gary Public Transportation Corp. (Gary Metro): 219-885-7555
• South Bend provides several parking lots and rates. For more info, click here.

For security reasons, we don’t encourage overnight parking in any of our lots. However, passengers who choose overnight parking are at their own risk. Please note that Hegewisch and Gary Metro Center are paid lots, so you will need to contact those lots directly. Please see contact information above. South Shore Line assumes no liability for cars parked in its lots.