Former connecting line between two former Pennsylvania Railroad main lines. Line connected at Bernice with the Columbus to Chicago line, providing a more direct route to Union Station by connecting with the Fort Wayne main line at Colehour Jct. Passenger service was originally discontinued in 1971 with the formation of Amtrak. At the time this was Penn Central. But service soon returned to this route, as track conditions on the former New York Central line between Kankakee and Cincinnati made respectable speeds impossible. Between 1980 and 1993, Amtrak's Hoosier State used the SC&S Branch and main line between Colehour Jct. and Maynard, connecting there with the Monon route. Until the late 1910's, commuter trains operated via this line from Chicago to near 134th St. in Hegewisch, diverging southeast via a branch through Hammond, and joining the Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal line near Calumet Ave. in Hammond. Within Indiana, this Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal line was actually jointly owned with Pennsylvania Railroad, and commuter trains continued east to Clarke Jct. where they rejoined the Fort Wayne main line.
Radio Frequency - 160.800 (AAR Channel 46)
ITALICS INDICATE ABANDONED SEGMENTS
0.0 Colehour Jct. (junction)
3.9 Hegewisch
4.3 Wolf Lake Jct.
4.6 Burnham (NICTD/NS crossing)
5.5 Calumet Park (junction-IHB/CSX)
9.3 Bernice (junction)
1 track, CTC in use.