South Shore Line trains suspended through Thursday

South Shore Line trains that service northwest Indiana are suspended Wednesday and Thursday because of the polar vortex that has hit the Midwest with brutally cold temperatures.

Service was suspended because a test train encountered significant wire problems overnight, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District said in a statement early Wednesday. No trains will operate on Wednesday or Thursday because of the extreme cold.

Trains were expected to resume Friday morning, NICTD said. Substitute busing will be in effect between the South Bend and Carroll Avenue stations for at least part of the day Friday.

Most Amtrak trains are canceled and Metra will modify the schedule of most of its lines Wednesday and Thursday due to the expected extreme cold weather.

Wednesday’s sub-zero temperatures created headaches for area motorists, as well, though vehicle traffic was noticeably lighter during rush hour.

Beth Mosher, a spokeswoman for AAA, said the organization’s full fleet of service vehicles, as well as its independent contractors, were on area roads Wednesday morning.

Mosher said there was a 186 percent uptick in calls for service Wednesday morning compared to calls made on Jan. 30, 2018, and AAA expects more of the same Thursday.

Priority will be given to callers in emergency situations, she said.

“If our members are safe and warm in their home, we are asking them for a little patience so we can get to those out in the elements facing true emergency situations,” Mosher said.