Requires July monthly ticket purchase, also adding free Westbound rides
To show continued appreciation and understanding of ongoing impacts from COVID-19, the South Shore Line announced that all monthly tickets purchased for the month of July will remain valid throughout August 2020.
As the State of Indiana and the City of Chicago continue to make progress with their respective re-opening phases, SSL acknowledged that passengers may have differing travel schedules throughout the summer.
Therefore, passengers purchasing a paper July monthly ticket should plan to keep that ticket and use it through August. Passengers purchasing a digital July monthly ticket via the mobile app will see an August ticket uploaded to their account prior to August 1, 2020.
For passengers who receive tickets through an employer benefit program such as Wage Works and Commuter Benefit Solutions, these passengers should not order their August tickets if they receive a July monthly ticket. If additional assistance or further clarification is needed, contact SSL through the online contact form at mysouthshoreline.com/contact.
SSL also offers free westbound rides on ALL trains starting July 1, 2020, through August 31, 2020.
The free westbound rides apply to all SSL stations. Passengers simply board applicable westbound trains with no ticket purchase. They do not need to activate mobile tickets for westbound trips on these trains. Additionally, up to three children 13 years of age and under ride free on off-peak weekday and all weekend trains with a fare-paying adult.
In addition, SSL is inviting all doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, other medical personnel, and law enforcement to continue riding for free throughout the months of July and August. Law enforcement encompasses police officers, correctional officers, TSA agents, and other security personnel. For more information, visit the website at mysouthshoreline.com/about/frontline-worker-free-rides.
“Not only do we want to provide a warm welcome for our riders who are returning to the SSL, but we also want to be accommodating during this time and show our understanding of our riders’ differing travel schedules,” said Michael Noland, President of South Shore Line. “All of our lives have been affected by recent times, and we want to make returning to the SSL affordable and safe for all.”
The company noted, “At SSL, nothing is more important than the safety of passengers. As a reminder, the SSL continues to require its riders to wear masks at stations and on board cars, practice social distancing when possible, and take advantage of sanitization stations in each car. For those riders who choose not to wear a mask or can’t due to medical conditions, each train is offering a “mask-optional” car. SSL thanked its passengers for their continued patience and ridership during this time.
SSL also implemented the Sanitized for Rider Safety program to further the health and safety precautions being taken. This comprehensive cleaning program includes disinfecting seats, windows, crash pads, handrails, door handles, headrests, and grab handles. Each train car is mopped with a stringent disinfectant and fogged with disinfectant using state-of-the-art equipment. To learn more about the Sanitized for Rider Safety program, visit the website at mysouthshoreline.com.
“Part of the warm welcome we are offering riders includes peace of mind,” said Amber Kettring, Manager of Customer Service and Communications. “Concerns about health and safety are now prominent in the minds of our riders as they go through their daily routines, and we want the SSL to be a sanitary environment they can depend on.”
The South Shore Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Indiana.
