June / July On the Bi-level

Legislature passes Rebuild Illinois bill

After nearly a decade without a capital program, Chicago’s public transportation system will receive a much needed infusion of funding with the passage of the Rebuild Illinois bill. The $45 billion program provides the Chicago region with a long-sought stable source of annual revenue for capital investment in public transportation ...

Metra vendor turns tips into scholarships

Metra Rock Island Line rider Tatiana L. Sheppard poses with her certificate after receiving a $750 scholarship from Gobble Doggs, a gourmet turkey hotdog stand located at Metra’s LaSalle Street Station. Sheppard is one of seven students in the Chicago area to receive a slice of the nearly $5,000 given away in Gobble Doggs’ first-ever scholarship award.

Kids ride free on Metra all summer long
Summer’s here, and we’re making it easy to take the train to vacation destinations in the city. Through Labor Day, up to three children age 11 and under can ride free with each adult.

SCHEDULE LIMITS

I just wanted to comment on Buffalo Grove being the busiest station in the North Central Service but 76th overall out of 242. I live in Long Grove and would gladly take the train from Buffalo Grove every day if it had a better schedule. Instead I drive down to Arlington Park on the UP Northwest Line or over to Lake Cook on the Milwaukee District North Line to get a line with a better schedule (a morning train that leaves between 7:26 a.m. and 8 a.m.) and more rush hour and later hour evening trains.

Anne

The NCS’s more limited schedule is due to the fact that Metra does not own the tracks over which the line operates. Instead, they are owned by CN, and our agreement with that freight railroad limits us to the current schedule. As you probably know, they use these tracks extensively for their freight trains. To increase capacity for more commuter service on the line, the CN would require infrastructure improvements that we don’t currently have the means to fund. By contrast, Metra owns the Milwaukee District North, and Union Pacific Railroad owns the UP Northwest, so we are able to better limit freight traffic and operate more commuter service. While this is the current situation, we haven’t given up on looking for ways to improve service and ridership on the NCS. The RTA is currently working with the village of Mundelein, Metra and the Lake County Transportation Alliance on a study to explore possible funding sources to support ridership growth along the NCS line. The study will also identify the specific improvements needed to provide additional service.

KEEP 'EM GROUNDED

I have been riding various Metra lines for many years. I have never seen so many thoughtless people, young and old, with their feet/shoes/boots on the seats. I do not hear announcements or see conductors telling folks to put feet down, even in lousy weather, nor do the seats get cleaned off for the next rider. Wondering if these same people put their dirty shoes on their couches at home.

Denise

OK. For the 12-thousandth time and in our best Mom voice, please keep your feet off the darn seats! You know the dirt that you’ve tracked through all day? Would you want to sit in that?

LOCATION, LOCATION

I am a regular on the UP Northwest Line, and I occasionally ride it downtown for some weekends. I found myself riding the Milwaukee District West Line to Franklin Park on the weekend of the Franklin Park Fest, which marks the first time I rode a Metra line that was not my primary line, as well as the first entirely Metra-operated line I rode on. I noticed during the run that only a few cars in the middle of the consist were in use for passengers. On my observations on the UP lines, they typically open the three rearmost cars (relative from the outbound direction) in a consist for off-peak service. Out of curiosity, is there any particular reason why passengers are directed toward the middle few cars during the off-peak on the Milwaukee District lines in particular?

The driving force behind the which cars are open on off-peak trains is the location of the designated ADA car.The location of the designated ADA car is different for each line, based on the optimum boarding location for ADA customers at the outlying stations. On the Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West, and North Central Service, the designated ADA car is located three cars behind the locomotive on consists of seven cars or fewer, and four cars behind the locomotive on consists of eight cars or more. Placing the ADA car in these locations results in the car lining up with designated ADA boarding areas at each station.

GRINDING IT OUT

I saw the Loram rail grinding train in the UP North Avenue yard. So what’s being ground down and why?

The Loram rail grinder is a normal part of track maintenance and is used across the rail industry to repair the wear and tear that develops through daily use. Grinding lengthens the life span of the rail by removing minor surface defects with grinding wheels that are set at precise angles to return the rail to its correct profile. This prevents minor defects from becoming bigger ones and reduces the chance of costly repairs in the future. Before a rail grinder is deployed, the track employees responsible for a particular line analyze data gathered through physical inspections of the track as well data gathered by specialized equipment such as a geometry car, which uses lasers and cameras to take precise measurements and identify track segments that need attention. Rail grinding has many benefits beyond extending the life of the rail; it provides a smoother ride for our passengers, reduces wear on rolling stock, and improves rail traction and fuel efficiency. A rail grinder in action is also pretty cool to watch.

Congressman Brad Schneider cuts the ribbon at the official dedication of the new passenger shelter at the Prairie Crossing Station on the Milwaukee District North Line on May 30. The Congressman was joined at the event by members of the Metra Board, including Chairman Norm Carlson, far right, Libertyville Mayor Terry L. Weppler, first row far left, Metra Board members Steven Messerli and Ken Koehler as well as members of the Lake County Board.

Did you know that Chicago has a great urban national park, accessible by Metra? It’s true. The Pullman National Monument is located just across Cottage Grove Avenue from the Metra Electric Line’s 111th Street Station. There are only a handful of national parks in the country that are reachable by public transit, so the Pullman National Monument is truly unique. Pullman is not a museum locked in time, but an active, vibrant neighborhood that allows you to walk back into history

Monthly Pass holders will now be able to use their tickets for unlimited weekend travel across the Metra system.
The change, which took effect June 1, allows Monthly Pass holders to travel outside the zones indicated on their passes at no additional cost on Saturdays and Sundays. Currently, only Metra’s $10 Weekend Pass can be used for unlimited travel across all fare zones.

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