How much jointed rail is left on Metra?

The only line I noticed having significant jointed rail when I visited last year was the Milwaukee West Line. Are there plans to install welded rail over these segments soon and is there jointed rail elsewhere on the system I may have overlooked? Thanks.

As of 2005, the only other route with significant sections of jointed rail would be HC, and I believe that to still be the case. Between 21st St. junction and the BNSF (ex-ATSF) crossing at Corwith, (located about a mile south of Brighton Park), both mains are jointed rail, but south of there all the way to Joliet, jointed rail is only present on MT2 (the south main), while MT1 was upgraded to CWR almost ten years ago. And, while both the main line and South Chicago branches of the electric district are totally outfitted with CWR, jointed rail is still present on the Blue Island branch between West Pullman (Halsted St.) and the Blue Island terminal. But other than that, CWR is standard throughout the rest of the system.

I know that the segment between 179th and Manhattan on SWS had been jointed rail until at least 2004, don't know if Metra upgraded that in time for last year's expansion. It has been Metra's stated goal to eventually upgrade the jointed rail segments mentioned above to CWR standards, but if they keep being forced to divert funds from the capital budget (which includes these precise kinds of physical plant upgrades) to the operating budget in order to cover shortfalls, it's a pretty safe bet these areas of jointed rail won't be going away soon...

Tunk tunk .... Tunk tunk .... Tunk tunk .... Tunk tunk ....

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I'm pretty sure everything on SWS is now welded rail, no more jointed track between 179th and Manhattan. The speed limit on that segment remains the same, which I believe is still set at 50mph.

No sense upgrading the BI line anytime soon - those trains crawl down the ME District anyway due to close station spacing and pokey MU's.

This may have changed; I don't know, but the Milwaukee West Line should be jointed rail on MT2 between Wood Dale and Bensenville. Also, the same is true on MT1, just in a smaller portion on the same part of the line. I remember July 3, 2006 when I did a day at Medinah, and that was the beginning of the jointed rail on the eastbound main. Every hour an express would slam by on the jointed rail, cars rocking, and engines knocking. Quite a sight. Defenitally going to miss that this year.

MetraF40C607 wrote:This may have changed; I don't know, but the Milwaukee West Line should be jointed rail on MT2 between Wood Dale and Bensenville. Also, the same is true on MT1, just in a smaller portion on the same part of the line. I remember July 3, 2006 when I did a day at Medinah, and that was the beginning of the jointed rail on the eastbound main. Every hour an express would slam by on the jointed rail, cars rocking, and engines knocking. Quite a sight. Defenitally going to miss that this year.

The jointed rail is still there, I go over it every day. I will miss that section when it is gone too.

Sigh, a part of me seconds the above sentiments. While I'd never deny welded rail's superiority, good jointed rail rides are getting harder and harder to find. What will stick rail junkies do when it's finally gone, heh?

doepack wrote:And, while both the main line and South Chicago branches of the electric district are totally outfitted with CWR, jointed rail is still present on the Blue Island branch between West Pullman (Halsted St.) and the Blue Island terminal.

I'm pretty sure the electric also has jointed rail around Roosevelt and Weldon Yard. The yard I understand; but, I would have thought the track north of Roosevelt would have been changed long ago.

Tunk tunk, tunk tunk!

There is still some jointed rail on the UP-N southbound main between Kenosha and Waukegan.