BNSF trackwork

BNSF has put up flyers at its outlying stations about a major tie replacement project now in progress through mid-November. Over 27,000 ties on the north main between Chicago and Aurora will be replaced. Off-peak and weekend trains will be most affected, travel times will lengthen, and trains will use the center track around work zones. Some afternoon rush hour trains could also be affected because "slow orders" will be issued after work ends for the day.

I can forsee now that OTP on the BNSF will decline for the final two months of the year because of this project and the increase in freight traffic as the holidays approach. There's already been an increase in freight traffic overall this week, including coal trains running during commuter rush.

It'll be disruptive for sure, but with plenty of crossovers between Cicero and Naperville providing additonal capacity, the delays to Metra service should be somewhat mitigated, unless BNSF plans to take large chunks of the north main out of service at a time. Which was the case last weekend on UP's Geneva sub, where the entire south main was shut down in the 14 mile segment between Elmhurst and West Chicago due to trackwork, meaning that all Metra westbounds on UP/W ran "down the middle".

Did you notice where BNSF is staging the MOW equipment? My guess would be the sidings at Congress Pk or Downers Grove...

I saw the track gang working near Riverside today. My guess the MOW equipment is being staged at Congress Park. One thing I noticed this afternoon is the routing of the Downers Grove expresses before 5:00pm. Each of the 2:30, 3:18, 3:58, and 4:28 CUS departures ran down the middle to Fairview before crossing over to the north main for the local run.