The South Shore commuter rail line, one of the region's oldest transportation networks, soon will be providing a speedier route to the computer age.

The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and ComControl Inc., of South Bend, announced Monday they are ready to flip the switch on a 75-mile dark fiber backbone along the South Shore line.

"This will drastically reduce prices and provide incredible speed," said ComControl Principal Brian Baker.

The technology, named South Shore Fiber Link, will be available to any business or institution in the region in need of extensive broadband capability, Baker said. The technology could serve a diverse range of potential users, including public school systems, manufacturers, Internet service providers, utility companies and colleges, he said.

Primarily, it will give businesses and institutions an alternative to current large providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast, Baker said.

NICTD is paying ComControl to sign up businesses and administrate the system, said NICTD Chief Information Officer Boris Matakovic. User fees will provide a revenue stream for NICTD, although Matakovic said expected revenue projections had not yet been developed.

Baker and Matakovic were joined by U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., and U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., in making the announcement on the lawn at the Marina Shores at Dune Harbor development in Portage.

The South Shore Fiber Link will run from Kensington Station in Chicago to the commuter railroad's eastern terminus at South Bend Regional Airport. It also will have a spur running from South Bend to Elkhart via a Norfolk Southern Corp. right of way.

The fiber line will utilize a new $7 million fiber optic network that connects the South Shore's track signaling system. That system is part of the railroad's ongoing $126.4 million modernization project, for which Visclosky has secured much of the funding.

Visclosky emphasized South Shore Fiber Link's potential role in connecting and supporting several high-tech initiatives already under way in northern Indiana. Those include the Northwest Indiana Computational Grid, which allows the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University and Purdue University Calumet to connect to a key Chicago node for a nationwide supercomputing grid.

"Now we can be connected to one of the great economies in the world, which is Chicago," Visclosky said.

The South Shore Line is partnering with ComControl Inc., of South Bend, to offer high-quality broadband access to businesses, schools and other potential users located along the 75-mile length of the railroad. The technology taps into a fiber optic line installed recently as an upgrade to the Chicago-to-South Bend railroad's signaling system.