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Home<Chicagoland<South Shore Line<Portage/Ogden Dunes

Portage/Ogden Dunes is a stop on the South Shore Line. The station is along a 6 mile section of double track, the longest east of Gray. The stop has a single low-level platform on the north side of the two-track line. Boarding for the opposite track is provided by concrete walkways across the closer track, making this a hold-out station since only one train can be stopping at a time. The platform is located along a narrow parking lot between the South Shore Line ROW and Norfolk Southern ROW used by Amtrak's Wolverine, Blue Water, Pere Marquette, Lake Shore and Capitol Limited Trains. The platform is across the South Shore tracks from the Dunes Highway (US-12). Access to the narrow parking lot with 230 angled parking spaces on both sides of a narrow central driveway, is provided via a one-way driveway between the grade-crossing of Hillcrest Road that provides the station entrance and a now driveway only exit only grade-crossing (that used to continue across the Norfolk South tracks) with the grade-crossings operations shed saying Continental Can, that used to provide access to now closed steel mills. Across the Dunes Highway from this entrance is to the Marina Shores development; which is very close to the station but no sidewalk access (and no crosswalk across Dune Highway) that makes this new townhome development feel transit adjacent, not transit oriented.

The station is an accessible South Shore Line station. To provide step-free access there are mini-high platforms that contain retractable platform edges that are kept in the up position unless a passenger wanting step-free boarding needs to board a train. Unfortunately bikes aren't allowed to use the mini-high platforms so the stop isn't bike accessible. Train crews operate these permanently attached bridge plates using their coach key and a button from a control box on the ramp fencing. The mini-high platform for the north track is at the western end of the platform, the mini-high platform for the south track is on its own between the track and the Dune Highway, requiring passengers to cross both tracks and roll up the ramp to the mini-high platform at the eastern end of this platform. The goal of these mini-high platforms is for wheelchairs to board the last car of all trains (which provides some complications for South Bend that can only platform the front 2 cars for arriving trains). Waiting wheelchair passengers have their own small green canopy structures at the top of each ramp, inside is a small bench for waiting passengers and a "Push Button to Notify train for pickup" that activates a strobe light on top of each shelter so the conductor can deploy the platform edge plate. Unfortunately signage is poor with no clear instructions telling wheelchair users which mini-high platform shed they need to wait in for their train.

Other platform amenities are 3 green shelters at regular intervals along the low-level platform. TVMs are located inside these shelters. Signage is at regular intervals and says Portage/Ogden Dunes on two lines. Across the tracks from the platform is a small digital information sign. Other features include that the Hillcrest Road grade-crossing's operations shed, has been wrapped to look like a small house with a green door (where the actual door is) and roof with singles. Above the window is a sign that says Ogden Dunes, providing a fun decorative sign at the entrance to the station and the Ogden Dunes community. There is also a normal blue sign saying Portage/Ogden Dunes between the tracks and the Dunes Highway.
Photos 1-3 taken on 14 July, 2009; 4: 27 October, 2011; 5-60: 14 June, 2018

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The parking lot and one of the wheelchair ramps viewed form the passing Lake Shore Limited
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A station shelter parking lot, and train off in the distance, viewed from the Lake Shore Limited
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A train in the Portage/Ogden Dunes Station, viewed from the passing Lake Shore Limited
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P42 #36 leads a Chicago-bound Wolverine Train through Ogden Dunes
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Stepping off a stopping south shore train
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MU #31 leaves Portage/Ogden Dunes The small waiting room that seems to always be open with it's two TVMs
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MU #31 leave Portage/Ogden Dunes to head to Michigan City
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Looking down the platform at Portage Ogden Dunes
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The retracted mini-high platform on the southern track
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The parking lot that is long and narrow
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Another view down the parking lot
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Looking across to the former Midwest Steel grade-crossing across the Norfolk Southern tracks
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The narrow parking lot exit, beyond the ends of the station platforms
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The grade-crossing and entrance to Marina Shores (no sidewalks) at the eastern end of the platforms
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Looking down to the station platforms from the Midwest Steel grade-crossing
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An area that could fit a second platform between the Dunes Highway and the southern track
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South Shore Line

Last Updated: 7 January, 2019
All photos are by Jeremiah Cox
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