Board OKs new GPS system purchase

The Metra Board of Directors has approved a $26.7 million contract to replace its antiquated GPS tracking and passenger announcement system with state-of-the-art technology that will also include a test of an automatic passenger counting system.

New Rock Island schedule goes into effect on Jan. 28

A new schedule for the Rock Island Line that includes changes made necessary by the new Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system, as well as some service enhancements such as new express trains will start on a trial basis on Jan. 28. In crafting the new schedule, Metra considered the comments of more than 800 people who emailed the agency and made adjustments where possible.

Here come the F59s

Two new-to-Metra F59PHI locomotives cross Canal Street as part of a Milwaukee District North Line train after leaving Chicago Union Station Dec. 20, becoming the first of the former Amtrak locomotives to be used in regular service. Metra recently purchased 21 of the locomotives, which were built in 1998 and rehabbed within the last five years, to supplement its existing fleet of locomotives and improve reliability. The locomotives will first be assigned to the Milwaukee lines and North Central Service.

Metra Police to launch app for reporting safety, security concerns

Metra customers will soon be able to use an app to easily report crimes, suspicious activity and security concerns to Metra Police, giving them a discreet and convenient way to connect with police from a train or station. The Metra Board of Directors last month approved a five-year, $274,000 contract with ELERTS Corporation to provide Metra with an incident reporting system for smartphones. port safety and security concerns to Metra Police at 312-322-2800.

Metra partners with jobs program

To further its goals of supporting a diverse workforce, Metra has partnered with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership’s Opportunity Works program over the past few months to host 14 young adults and give them firsthand exposure to the wide variety of career paths available in the rail industry.

PRIORITY SEATING

I really didn’t think it needed to be said, yet again. Bottom line: If you don’t NEED to sit in a priority seat, please don’t. But if you DO sit there, move for someone who needs it (even if they don’t explicitly ask you). It would be a bonus if you also did not shove your way into the train first to make sure you get to the priority seats before anyone else, too – but perhaps I hope for too much. I know people prefer to have a seat to themselves. I know they think someone else will move for the elderly or the handicapped (and I often see people with disabilities moving aside for people more physically challenged than they are, while the folks who look able-bodied just sit by and watch). Apparently it is time, again, to remind people that those priority seats are there for a reason. Some of us are mobility challenged and use a cane or crutches or braces, some of us don’t. Some of us are tired of asking for a seat and having people pretend not to hear, ignoring the request, or just refusing to move – so much so that we don’t bother to ask anymore. Maybe the Ride Nice campaign needs to post more pointed requests immediately by the priority seats. You’d think in 2018, in the United States, this would not be necessary, but, sadly, it is.

Sarah

Your letter pretty much said it all, but we’ll repeat it anyway. Priority seating is intended to allow elderly and disabled persons, pregnant women and the injured to ride public transportation with an equal degree of access and comfort as other people. On off-peak trains, some of these seating areas are also designated for bicycles. If you don’t qualify as any of the above, then this should not be the first seating area you pick. If the train is full and these are the only seats left, you may sit in them, but you should always be prepared to move.

KUDOS TO STAFF

I want to thank the conductors, dispatchers and all the Metra staff for the way they resolved the stalled train on the Milwaukee District West Line on Nov. 28. I was riding the train that stopped at Roselle and had to disembark to board the other train. It was a frustrating situation, but the conductors communicated clearly to us and were very helpful. Overall, I think it was handled professionally and resolved as quickly as possible. Thank you!

Kaitlyn

Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge the positive aspects of a difficult situation. We relayed your kudos to the crew’s supervisors to pass along. Service disruptions like these require a lot of split-second decision-making which can make effective communication difficult. We’re glad to hear that our team on the Milwaukee District West was up to the challenge.

PARENTAL SUPERVISION

I just wanted to “thank” the uncaring mother for letting her mostly behaving kids sit on the second level while she sat below. When talking among themselves, they were fine, but every time they needed their mother, you had one of three kids calling down, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, MOM, MOM,” while she lazily ignored them as much as she could. A special thank you goes to the conductor for asking her to move her family together below!

     Yes, thank you, conductor. We get that after a day with your kids, you may be tempted to try to steal a little quiet time for yourself. However, parents, you need to sit with your children for their safety. And while it sometimes takes a village, our train crews and the other passengers are not there to help you mind them. They are your responsibility. Above all, please be considerate of fellow passengers.

CROWD CONTROL II

     To follow up on Diane B.’s letter regarding BNSF riders, can you also add that they are not the only line that uses Union Station? When they are coming out of the south concourse and heading toward the escalators on the Adams Street side, it’s like trying to break though a solid wall of BNSFers. I’ve been sworn at, hit and tripped by inconsiderate BNSFers more and more as I try to cross so I can get out on the Jackson side. The way they come at you it’s like dodging booby traps in an Indiana Jones movie.

Sorry, got distracted for a minute with visions of Indiana Jones being chased by that giant boulder in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Yes, crowding in the south concourse at Chicago Union Station has been a long-term problem due to the layout of the station and the small size of the waiting area adjacent to the platforms. If you’re a regular rider, we hope you saw the fliers we recently placed on all trains that use the south concourse about our service disruption plan. But that aside, nothing excuses the rudeness and outright bad behavior you’ve experienced. So please people, remember that the person trying to get past you isn’t necessarily trying to cut the line. They are just as likely to be trying to board a SouthWest Service or Heritage Corridor train. Please let them through.

State Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville will host a public forum from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at Naperville City Hall, 400 S. Eagle Street, to discuss issues related to the BNSF Line’s performance in 2018. Representatives of Metra and BNSF Railway will be on hand to listen to customer concerns and answer questions.

The deadline for this year’s Metra Safety Poster and Essay Contest is fast approaching. All entries must be emailed or postmarked by Jan. 31, 2019. The contest is open to students in grades K-12 across the Chicago region. This year’s theme is “Use Your Senses.” For more information, go to metracontest.com.

Platform signs to change

Metra has changed the signs at the head of platforms at Ogilvie, LaSalle Street and Union Station to eliminate a source of frustration for customers. The signs had been pre-programmed to coordinate with the scheduled departure of trains. However, sometimes the signs announced a train was boarding before it made it to the platform.

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