View source for Hammond–Whiting station

{{for|other stations with similar names|Hammond station (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox station
 | style=Amtrak
 | name=Hammond–Whiting, IN
 | image=Hammond-Whiting Amtrak Station.jpg
 | caption=Hammond–Whiting station building in 2010
 | address=1135 South Calumet Avenue<br />[[Hammond, Indiana]]
 | country = [[United States]]
 | coordinates = {{coord|41|41|28|N|87|30|24|W|type:railwaystation_region:US-IN|display=inline,title}}
 | owned   = [[Amtrak]]
 | line    = [[Norfolk Southern Railroad|Norfolk Southern]] [[Chicago Line (Norfolk Southern)|Chicago Line]]<!-- The physical "line" is not the same as "services" which are detailed below -->
 | other=
 | platform=1
 | tracks=4
 | parking=10 short term and 103 long term parking spaces 
 | bicycle=
 | passengers=11,321<ref>{{cite web |title= Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2017, State of Indiana|publisher= [[Amtrak]] |date= November 2017 |url= https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/statefactsheets/INDIANA17.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 16 December 2017}}</ref>
 | pass_year=2017
 | pass_percent=90.2
 | opened=September 12, 1982<ref name=sanders />{{rp|257}}
 | rebuilt=
 | ADA=Yes
 | code=[[List of Amtrak station codes|Amtrak code]]: [http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=am/am2Station/Station_Page&code=HMI HMI]
 | services= {{Adjacent stations|system=Amtrak|line=Wolverine|left=Chicago|right=Michigan City
  |line2=Blue Water|nonstop2=yes
  |line3=Capitol Limited|nonstop3=yes
  |line4=Lake Shore Limited|nonstop4=yes
  |line5=Pere Marquette|nonstop5=yes}}
| other_services_header = Former services
| other_services_collapsible = yes
| other_services = {{Adjacent stations|system1=Amtrak
|line1=Capitol Limited|left1=Chicago|right1=South Bend|note-mid1=''1982–2001<br />2003–2005''
|line2=Capitol Limited|left2=Chicago|right2=Valparaiso|note-mid2=''1982–2001<br />2003–2005''|note-right2=(until 1990)
|line3=Three Rivers|left3=Chicago|right3=Nappanee|note-mid3=''1995–2005''
|line4=Lake Shore Limited|left4=Chicago|right4=South Bend|note-mid4=''1982–2003''
|line5=Pennsylvanian|left5=Chicago|right5=South Bend|to-left5=Chicago|note-mid5=''1998–2003''
|line6=International|left6=Chicago|right6=Niles|to-left6=Chicago|note-mid6=''1982–2001''
|line7=Pere Marquette|left7=Chicago|right7=New Buffalo|to-left7=Chicago|note-mid7=''1984–2001''
|line8=Broadway Limited|left8=Chicago|right8=South Bend|to-left8=Chicago|note-mid8=''1982–1995''
|line9=Broadway Limited|left9=Chicago|right9=Valparaiso|to-left9=Chicago|note-mid9=''1982–1995''|note-right9=(until 1990)
|line10=Calumet|left10=Chicago|right10=Whiting|to-left10=Chicago|note-mid10=''1982–1991''
|line11=Cardinal|left11=Chicago|right11=Gary (Miller & Lake)|to-left11=Chicago|note-mid11=''1982–1986''
}}
}}

'''Hammond–Whiting''' is an [[Amtrak]] intercity [[train station]] in [[Hammond, Indiana]]. The station is along the former [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] [[Fort Wayne Line]], now owned by [[Norfolk Southern Railway]]. North of the station lies the former [[Baltimore and Ohio]] (now [[CSX]]) and [[Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad]] (now [[Canadian National]]) tracks. The station building and parking lot lies on the former [[New York Central Railroad]] mainline. Hammond–Whiting opened on September 11, 1982. Until the early 2000s, it was served by all Amtrak service that ran east from Chicago; today, it is only served by two daily ''[[Wolverine (train)|Wolverine]]'' round trips.

==History==
===Opening===
After the success of 1953-opened [[Route 128 station]] in the southern area of [[Greater Boston]], railroads began to add suburban [[park-and-ride]] stops for intercity trains as complements to downtown stations. [[Penn Central]] opened [[Capital Beltway station]] in 1970 and [[Metropark station]] in 1971, providing suburban stops for Washington, D.C. and New York City. However, at the beginning of the 1980s, Chicago did not have such a stop for [[Amtrak]] intercity trains running to Michigan and the East Coast&nbsp;– most trains did not stop until [[Gary, Indiana|Gary]], [[South Bend station|South Bend]], [[Valparaiso, Indiana|Valparaiso]], or [[Niles station|Niles]]. Only the [[Calumet (train)|''Calumet'' and ''Indiana Connection'']] commuter trains stopped in [[Whiting, Indiana]], some {{convert|15|miles}} southeast of Chicago.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|215}}

[[File:Wolverine at Hammond Whiting station, November 23, 1984.jpg|thumb|left|The westbound ''Wolverine'' at Hammond–Whiting in November 1984]]
Indiana Representative [[Adam Benjamin Jr.]], chairman of the [[United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies|House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation]], induced Amtrak to add a suburban station southeast of Chicago. Located in Whiting (at a location that had not previously had a railroad station) but co-named for larger [[Hammond, Indiana]], Hammond–Whiting station opened on September 12, 1982.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|257}} It was initially served by ten daily round trips: the ''Calumet'' and ''Indiana Connection'' commuter trains; the ''[[International (Amtrak train)|International Limited]]'', ''[[Lake Cities (Amtrak train)|Lake Cities]]'', ''[[Wolverine (train)|Twilight Limited]]'', and ''[[Wolverine (train)|Wolverine]]'' [[Michigan Services|services to Michigan]]; and the ''[[Broadway Limited]]'', ''[[Capitol Limited (Amtrak train)|Capitol Limited]]'', ''[[Cardinal (train)|Cardinal]]'', and ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'' long-distance trains.

For the next two decades, the station was served by all Amtrak service on the line. The ''[[Pere Marquette (Amtrak train)|Pere Marquette]]'' began on August 5, 1984; the ''Cardinal'' was rerouted to the southwest on April 27, 1986.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|53, 209}} The ''Indiana Connection'' was discontinued on January 10, 1986, followed by the ''Calumet'' on May 6, 1991.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|216-217}} The ''Broadway Limited'' was replaced by the ''[[Three Rivers (train)|Three Rivers]]'' on September 10, 1995.<ref name="sanders" />{{rp|27}} The ''[[Pennsylvanian (train)|Pennsylvanian]]'' was extended to Chicago with a stop at Hammond–Whiting on November 7, 1998.<ref name="sanders"/>{{rp|76}}

===Service reductions===
[[File:Amtrak 351 in Hammond, Indiana.jpg|thumb|left|A ''Wolverine'' passing through the station in 2008]]
The station was built cheaply, using a [[Amtrak Standard Stations Program|
standard Amtrak design]].<ref name=gas>{{cite web |url=http://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/hammond-whiting-in-hmi/ |title=Hammond-Whiting, IN (HMI) |work=Great American Stations |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref> The single [[side platform]] serves only one of the line's three tracks; this caused operational difficulties with routing numerous daily Amtrak trains onto that single track. Amtrak began reducing service to the station in the early 2000s because of low ridership and Norfolk Southern's requests due to the operational issues.<ref name=lsl>{{cite web |url=http://floridacoalitionofrailpassengers.memberlodge.com/Resources/Documents/Amtrak_2011_PRIIA_210_Report_09-26-11_final%5B1%5D.pdf |title=PRIIA Section 210 Performance Improvement Plan: Crescent – Lake Shore Limited – Silver Service |page=48 |date=September 2011 |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref><ref name=gas /> On October 29, 2000, the ''Wolverine'' stop at Hammond–Whiting was discontinued.<ref name=sanders />{{rp|203}} The ''Pere Marquette'' and ''International'' ceased stopping on April 29, 2001, followed by the ''Capitol Limited'' on July 9.<ref name=sanders />{{rp|54, 210}}

The ''Pennsylvanian'' was cut back to Pittsburgh on February 10, 2003.<ref name=sanders />{{rp|78}} The ''Lake Shore Limited'' stop was discontinued on April 28, 2003, as the train averaged just five passengers per train at Hammond–Whiting, but the ''Capitol Limited'' stop was re-added.<ref name=lsl /><!--Sanders date is incorrect--> The ''Three Rivers'' was cut on March 7, 2005.<ref name=sanders />{{rp|33}} The station lost its ticket agent on April 25, 2005, when the ''Capitol Limited'' again ceased to stop.<ref name=sanders />{{rp|257}}<!-- Amtrak timetables show it in April but not October, but it appears that the stop was actually cut in April--> This left only two daily ''Wolverine'' round trips (the former ''Lake Cities'' and ''Twilight Limited'', renamed on April 26, 2004) as the only service at Hammond–Whiting.<ref name=sanders />{{rp|201, 257}} In 2011, Amtrak considered stopping the ''Lake Shore Limited'' at the station; however, it was rejected due to operational difficulties and low projected ridership.<ref name=lsl />
{{clear}}

==See also==
*[[Hammond station (South Shore Line)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="sanders">{{Sanders-Heartland}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Amtrak web|HMI|Hammond, IN|INDIANA}}
*[http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/whiting.htm Hammond–Whiting (HMI) (USA Rail Guide – Train Web)]
*[http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/HMI/Station_view Hammond-Whiting, IN (HMI) - Great American Stations (Amtrak)]
{{Hammond, Indiana}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond-Whiting station}}
[[Category:Amtrak stations in Indiana]]
[[Category:Hammond, Indiana]]<!--In Hammond-->
<!--Not in Whiting but serves it-->
[[Category:Railway stations in Lake County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1982]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in Indiana]]