(The Associated Press circulated the following article on October 4.)
CHICAGO — A top official of the agency that runs the South Shore Line says Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is looking into whether the state should sell or lease the commuter railroad.
Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District general manager Gerald Hanas says he doubts the line would be a candidate for privatization like the Indiana Toll Road, since it doesn’t break even on ticket sales.
The state funds about one-third of the South Shore’s $30 million annual operating budget. The line runs between South Bend, Indiana, and Chicago.
A spokesman for the Indiana Department of Transportation denies that they’re talking about privatizing the South Shore. He says the state’s most recent conversations with railroad officials have been about finding federal funds to buy new cars.