Here's my list...
1. Purchase the Kenosha and Harvard subdivisions outright from UP. Restore the old third track on the Kenosha sub from Clybourn to Winnetka, and revise the schedules to allow for more express service...
2. Introduce weekend main line trains on the Rock. That should help boost weekend ridership west of Blue Island...
3. And speaking of the Rock, I will drag the Beverly Branch kicking and screaming into the 21st century by getting DMU's. Schedules will be coordinated with main line trains at Gresham and/or Blue Island, but will be an independent operation otherwise. Period, end of discussion.
4. Expand HC to 8 daily trains, including an outbound "reverse" run to Joliet in the AM, and an inbound run to CUS in the PM. These reverse runs would be "experimental"...
5. Add a later inbound and outbound train on NC, with the last train to Antioch leaving CUS at about 10pm or so...
6. Spread the late evening CUS departures out a little more evenly on the Milw-W and N lines. For instance, the last three Milw-W trains currently leave CUS at 9:40, 10:40, and 12:40. You could easily eliminate the two hour gap by pushing the 10:40 train back a half-hour...
7. Add a second Saturday DG-CUS express train on BNSF in both directions. Don't worry, they'll fill 'em up...
8. Add 4 Saturday trains to Big Timber on a limited basis to test demand. Also, build a small layover yard there as well, just two simple spur tracks that will hold two sets, to reduce deadhead mileage...
9. Charge a flat $2 fare for any cash-paying passenger boarding at an in-city stop during rush hours. This could be viewed as a "good faith" move on Metra's part to encourage more cooperation between themselves, CTA and Pace...
10. Get TVM's for the downtown terminals, and a few of the busier suburban stations...
11. To honor the railroads that preceded it, I would paint a couple of locomotives from each district in the colors of CNW, Milwaukee Road, BN, and Rock Island. Restore a few of the cars on the electric district to the orange & black of the IC. It would be helpful in changing Metra's image as a "boring" railroad...
12. Add a Wheaton-OTC express train in the morning rush (ok, that's for purely selfish reasons, but still...)
--Dorian--