What Would You Change?

Of course Metra does not operate exactly the way everyone in Chicago thinks it should, whether it be the equipment being used or the amount of service being offered, there are different 'flaws' the agency has based on personal opinions/interests. So if you were to become the 'boss man' at Metra, without any limitations... What would you do different, what would you change?


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Starting off with scheduling, RID under my control would look something like this:
RID... Possibility
For the most part, the current set-up would remain the same, however service would reflect the growing potential RI has.

"Without any limitations" eh? Never going to happen, but over on the Milw-W, fixing two things would make a world of difference:
1. Get rid of that awful 30mph at Elmwood Park. If the motorists can't read that big overhead yellow sign, then to hell with 'em;
2. Eliminate the "hold out" practice. On the Milw-N, a train is allowed to come in the station if one is already stopped there. This is acceptable and does not cause significant delays. The West line practice of "only one train in the station at a time" is ridiculous and regularly causes delays of 1-2 minutes a pop.

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...)

Put a minimum number of cars (say, three) on each trainset which MUST be open on every off-peak run. Too many crews out there that are running 10-car sets and only one car's open, meaning it's stuffed to the gills by the time it gets downtown.

add tvm at every station and become a proof of payment system like Caltrain
add zone scheduling to the up west. OTC-Wheaton OTC-Elmhurst - College AV. OTC -All stop to Berkley
Build a new transit hub located by the present Western Av Station but serving UPW also; get ride of the Kedize Station
Consolidate Western Av and California av yards into one complex
move UP-w to union, MDN and MDW to OTC
Add pedestrian crossing signals at all stations - eliminate hold out rull
Remove center track platforms on the UPNW and operate like BNSF
Being all stations to ADA compliance
become the fastest and most reliable system
Take over Hawatia service from amtrak - add stop at Gurnee

Bring back the North Shore Line. It can use the same equipment currently used on the electric route
Add a stop in pleasant prairie on UP north
Add weekend service to North Central
Have all trains that currently terminate in waukegan to terminate in zion instead. Some abandoned industrial buildings on the east side of the tracks and south of the station can be torn down and a coachyard can be built there to eliminate the need to deadhead to waukegan.
Have PACE run shuttle bugs from the MILW north stations in Grayslake and Libertyville to the following places, Abbott Park and nearby office parks, Motorola and nearby office parks, and the College of Lake County.
Bring back the F7's
Run MP's on the UP routes
Extend The MILW-N north of Rondout on the C&M mainline to Abbott Park, Gurnee, and Wadsworth
Install overhead walkways at all NCS stations that are in double or triple track territory.

Get rid of the ugly a** Japanese cars and brink back the painted cars.

The outright purchase of the Kenosha and Harvard subdivisions is a particularly good idea (big $$$ though...) As is the treatment of the Beverley Branch as rapid transit.

What else? Well, if CN ever relocates, buy the CN/IC tracks next to Metra Electric and the St. Charles Air Line before Mayor Daley can tear it down -- a connection between the BNSF and Electric lines is potentially very useful for passenger movement. Improve the Metra Electric stations so that they're actually attractive. Give Millennium Station an entrance in Millennium Park, not to mention some better signs pointing to the entrances. Make the one non-accessible track at Millennium Station accessible.

I'd also add center platform boarding designations on the schedules for outbound Milw W & NC trains at Western Ave. The station itself should also have bilingual signage...

i'd add weekend service to the express rock island side

I'd make certain that riders are better informed ahead of time when service disruptions are expected to occur during periods of major trackwork. For instance, UP has had a tie-replacement project going on in Lombard for the past few weeks, and it has played havoc with midday and weekend service; trains have been anywhere from 15 to 30 min. late, with the heaviest delays occurring on weekends when trains have to run down the center track between Elmhurst and W. Chgo, and can only load/unload passengers from just one car. Yet, the website still blames these delays on "freight train interference", when that doesn't really tell the whole story; while the station announcements have been adequate, delays that are broadcast in advance (like say, via temporary signage at stations) would be better way to handle it...

I would love to see a system setup especially on weekends or special events days that can take information of real time boardings as the train progresses along towards the city. Telling how many cars are open currently and where passengers should be platform wise to help expedite loading. Example and its not just the past weekend but plenty of other times. By the time we get to Geneva we are already at 5 cars. So at West Chicago I'm already spotting longer to get folks into the 3rd,4th, and 5th car. By the time we get to Wheaton we're up to 6 cars meaning I'm spotting towards the east end of platform get folks on the 3 rear cars. But everyone a good number of people are still trying to load into the first 3 cars that are full at this point. When we get to Elmhurst we are up to 8 cars pull long almost like a morning commute. Anyways for all the stops if there is a way to get information to each station especially heavy loading stops. so passengers can at least have the info to move towards the rear of the trains when situations call for. Of course folks would still have the choice to stand up or walk thru the train but know ahead could save a minute or tow on the trip. I'm sure the BN line, MW line and others experience similar situations.

spice things up a bit.. metra should have 1 engine painted in heritage paint just like Union Pacific did with their freight.. can you imagine an MP36 in milwaukee road paint? or a metra loco in Northwestern Paint??

I heard that if the CN deal goes through that the IC/CN track will be written off? or sold to Amtrak.. I ahve also heard that this track would be used for future south shore service to Valpo and Lowel, which I presume will be desiel service.. either way from a legistical standpoint I think the CN/IC track will never be abandoned, becuase it could be needed in emergencies.. if another line goes out due to a wreck or something of that nature..

superbad wrote:I heard that if the CN deal goes through that the IC/CN track will be written off? or sold to Amtrak.. I ahve also heard that this track would be used for future south shore service to Valpo and Lowel, which I presume will be desiel service..

This is true. I talked with head haunchos with NICTD a few weeks back (on a CERA foamer trip) and they are indeed interested in purchasing the CN's right-of-way should it become available. Their own increasing ridership demands have been working against the train limit which Metra has imposed on them through the Kensington interlocking, so purchasing the old CN/IC is being considered to rectify that problem.