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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

 #121247  by MetraF40C607
 
Hey all. According to a source of mine, Amtrak train 305 and an HC train a detouring on the Rock Island right now as I type this message. I donno if any of you live close enough, but if you do, my last report was Blue Island at 8:46P.M. for 305 with the HC train right on it's heels. This is due to an earlier hasmat situation on the HC somewhere. Just thought i'd let y'all know.

 #121261  by Scotty Burkhardt
 
(In advance sorry Mike)
Very little to do with Metra......

Amtrak detours on the Rock a few times a year. Somewhere around this mess I have a photo of an inbound Texas Eagle @ Oak Forest. My father works for IDOT, for awhile there was serious talk of rerouting Amtrak down the Rock Island District then due south at Joliet. I doubt seriously of that ever happening as the HC has 2 seperated lines parallel to each other.

 #121265  by metraRI
 
While the Amtrak part has little to do with Metra (as Scotty Burkhardt pointed out), the HC part is more on track.

If HC did in fact use RI, what made RI a choice over using BNSF to Joliet? HC train #17 was also stopped east of Summit, so what happened to those passengers?

All Heritage Corridor trains were eventually cancelled and passenegers were bussed from LaGrange and Downers Grove.

 #121271  by AmtrakFan
 
Was their a derailment?

 #121274  by AmtrakFan
 
HERITAGE CORRIDOR TRAIN DELAYS
AS OF 9:30 P.M., TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005, IN THE EVENT THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO OPERATE TRAINS THRU THE AFFECTED AREA ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2005, METRA WILL BE TRYING TO SECURE BUSSING FROM THE FOLLOWING STATIONS; LOCKPORT, LEMONT, WILLOW SPRINGS AND SUMMIT. PASSENGERS WILL BE BUSSED TO THE NEAREST BURLINGTON NORTHERN STATION FOR THEIR TRIP INTO CHICAGO UNION STATION.

PLEASE RECOGNIZE THAT BUS AVAILABILITY WILL BE LIMITED AND CUSTOMER SHOULD ANTICIPATE DELAYS. THE FREIGHT CARRIER IS WORKING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE THRU THE AFFECTED AREA. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO THE STATUS OF THE SITUATION.

HOWEVER, PLEASE LOOK NEWS BROADCASTS AND LISTEN TO RADIO BROADCASTS AND KEEP UP TO DATE WITH OUR WEB SITE FOR ANY UPDATED INFORMATION.

 #121277  by metraRI
 
AmtrakFan wrote:Was their a derailment?
A tank car carrying 30,000 gallons of ethanol struck another rail car and ruptured in Stickney, which is just before Summit.

 #121311  by bones
 
Metra used the Rock because it's cheaper to use your own rails than pay BNSF to use thiers. As for the Passengers, they were bussed. The trains were empty to Joliet.

 #121396  by AmtrakFan
 
bones wrote:Metra used the Rock because it's cheaper to use your own rails than pay BNSF to use thiers. As for the Passengers, they were bussed. The trains were empty to Joliet.
With the BNSF they don't have a bridge to CUS from the old ATSF that's why 3/4 moved to the BN.
 #121499  by AMTK84
 
MetraF40C607 wrote:Hey all. According to a source that I am in contact with, Amtrak train 305 and an HC train a detouring on the Rock Island right now as I type this message. I donno if any of you live close enough, but if you do, my last report was Blue Island at 8:46P.M. for 305 with the HC train right on it's heels. This is due to an earlier hasmat situation on the HC somewhere. Just thought i'd let y'all know.
I checked at 9:25 PM, and a Rock Island engineer who I am in contact with reported that train 305 was "long gone", and that he did not know about train 304; he passed 304 about 9:35 PM with unit AMTK93 on the front.. He made it very clear though that 305 was gone and not following him. As for the HC trains, they canceled 3 and bussed passengers, according to MetraRI.

 #121577  by MetraF40C607
 
All I have to say is good job to CN. God, I hate CN.

 #121603  by AmtrakFan
 
MetraF40C607 wrote:All I have to say is good job to CN. God, I hate CN.
I like CN.