SSL Announces Opening of Monon Corridor Service; Noland Retires as President (UPDATED, 4/2)
In a letter to SSL riders, former President Michael Noland expressed his excitement about the completion of the 8-mile line extension, which will run from Gateway Station in North Hammond, with station stops at 173rd Street in Hammond, Ridge Road in Munster, and at the Munster/Dyer border. Passenger service officially began on the new Monon Corridor at 11:45 am on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The $945 million design-build project also includes expanded parking and a new maintenance and storage facility to support the additional service.
HDR supported the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) on this project from its beginning in 2016, providing program management, environmental services, engineering and grant support. This work contributed to NICTD securing a $355 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) and completing a nationally recognized Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). HDR completed preliminary engineering design ahead of the design-build team selection, after which HDR transitioned to support NICTD with quality assurance, risk management and project controls.
“The opening of the Monon Corridor Project reflects years of coordinated planning and collaboration,” HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker said. “We’re proud to have worked alongside NICTD from the beginning to deliver a transformative project that expands access to regional mobility.”
HDR assisted NICTD with navigating several complex design and environmental challenges, including developing a two‑tiered stormwater retention system to protect the Grand Calumet River and an elevated track alignment designed to avoid impacts to federally protected recreation areas. The new stations include high‑level platforms for improved accessibility and more efficient boarding for passengers.
“The Monon Corridor is a major investment for mobility and a huge win for people in northwest Indiana,” Noland said. “It improves access to jobs, healthcare and special events, reduces congestion, and strengthens the communities we serve. We were proud to welcome riders to this new extension.”
Noland also announced that he is retiring after 43 years in the railroad industry. March 15 was his last day leading the SSL. “Working on the SSL over the past 12 years has been the highlight of my career, and I’m leaving at a time when I am very excited about the railroad’s future,” he wrote. Former Tri-Rail CEO David Dech has been appointed as SSL’s third President in the railroad’s nearly 50-year history, beginning March 16.
“Dave is the perfect person to lead the railroad into the future and is highly regarded as one of the best leaders in the entire U.S. railroad industry. Dave has the passion, drive, and ability to lead this railroad into the future, and I can’t wait to see what improvements he brings to the system. Dave will lead an incredible team of employees who work tirelessly to bring you the best possible commuter rail service. In my opinion, we have the best employees in the entire railroad industry,” wrote Noland.
Noland was hired by the NICTD Board of Trustees in October 2014. “The Board entrusted me with a mission: deliver the elements of their recently approved 20-Year Strategic Plan. The two key elements of the plan were double tracking the 26-mile section of the main line railroad from Gary to Michigan City and extending the service on the West Lake Corridor with a line extension from north Hammond to the Munster/Dyer border. Though the timeline for the plan was 20 years, it needed, in my opinion, to be done in 20 minutes. The plan was bold, it was exciting, and it made perfect sense. The plan was, as Daniel Burnham once advocated for, ‘a big plan.’ In early 2015, we implemented limited stop service from South Bend on a train we named the ‘Sunrise Express.’ The Sunrise Express reduced travel time from South Bend to and from Chicago to less than 2 hours, saving over 30 minutes of travel time. The future of improved service for the railroad was captured in the Sunrise Express and was the predecessor for the start of the Double Track project in early 2016. Support for both these projects grew, often exponentially, and these projects were approved for $1.6B in funding. This funding came from local, county, state, and federal sources and was achieved with leadership support on a bipartisan basis from our northwest Indiana delegation, both state and federal,” Noland wrote in his March 13 letter to SSL riders.
Noland’s full letter to SSI riders is available here.
