Discussion related to commuter rail and rapid transit operations in the Chicago area including the South Shore Line, Metra Rail, and Chicago Transit Authority.

Moderators: metraRI, JamesT4

  by lstone19
 
I don't have a lot of details other that apparently a large piece of concrete (200 pounds was the number I heard) fell from the ceiling on to the Track 1/3 platform sometime this morning or maybe over the weekend. This morning arriving, a scissors lift was being moved down the platform (a train in between blocked my view of where the problem must have been). Tracks 1 and 3 were out of service all day. My 5:05 MD-W train which normally leaves from 3 left from 19 (fun, fun as the 4:48 MD-N did as well which meant are equipment was late and coupled with the 5:08 Hiawatha loading across the platform on 17, made for a very crowded platform (no doubt the Amtrak platform "guards" were shaking their heads at Metra passengers being allowed on the platform before the train was ready for boarding)). The other train to normally use Track 1, the 5:15 MD-N, was put on 5 squeezed between a 5:01 departure and a 5:31 departure. From what I could see, good job by Metra timing the equipment moves from Western Ave. to fit the compressed turns.