NICTD South Shore Line Selects Clever Devices for Passenger Information Improvements

Chesterton, IN (March 31, 2025) –  Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) has selected Clever Devices to provide critical passenger information improvements for the South Shore Line, serving commuters between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in South Bend, Indiana.

The project’s scope includes upgrading outdated cellular and Wi-Fi routers with modern and reliable technology, modifying the existing Public Address system onboard the railcars for automated announcements, implementing a passenger counting system with NTD certification services, transmitting location data to allow both NICTD employees and the public to have the capability to view railcar/train locations. In addition, Clever Devices will be seamlessly integrating these features into a user-friendly interface to allow NICTD’s Passenger Communication department to automatically and/or manually trigger announcements onboard NICTD’s railcars and stations, receive live and historical passenger counting data, and modify train schedules.

When integrated with onboard systems, Clever Devices’ Public Address/Passenger Information System (PA/PIS) solutions enable transit agencies to communicate real-time visual and auditory data from various data sources to passengers, making public transit the safe, reliable, and attractive choice.

“We are excited to provide the NICTD South Shore Line with our reliable and rail-proven solutions for Disruption Management, Automatic Passenger Counting, and Automatic Vehicle Location,” said John Santamaria, Sr. Vice President, Rail at Clever Devices. “We look forward to this collaboration, as well as what can be achieved with partners like NICTD in the future.”

The NICTD South Shore Line is one of the last surviving interurban trains in the United States. Operating along the South Shore of Lake Michigan, the railroad was built in 1901-1908 by the predecessors of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad. NICTD assumed passenger operation in 1989. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 1,766,600, or about 5,800 per weekday. Their service area is comprised of more than 90 miles of interurban commuter rail line with 19 total stations, including approximately 15 miles shared with Metra.

To learn more about our rail-ready PA/PIS solutions and the benefits they provide across the board to passengers, management, and operators, download our Solution Brief.

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About Clever Devices

Clever Devices is a leading provider of technology solutions for all modes of public transportation, including passenger rail, fixed-route, bus rapid transit, and paratransit. We deliver scalable and modular Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), providing benefits to transit system operators and the riding public, including increased operational efficiencies, enhanced safety, and better passenger experiences. Clever Devices’ mission is to make meaningful contributions to worldwide mobility. Our solutions enhance mobility and help meet the public transportation challenges of communities around the world. We strive to be at the forefront of innovation, using technology to drive the next generation of public transportation.

South Shore Line photo used courtesy of Han Zheng, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.