CHICAGO — Expanding on a warning issued by Metra’s CEO earlier this month, the Chicago-area Regional Transportation Authority has released a dire picture of potential cuts to area transit if a potential $770 million funding shortfall is not addressed before the current state legislative session ends in May. Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said Metra […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has set the schedule to address Metra’s request for action compelling Union Pacific to continue allowing commuter rail service on its Chicago-area rail lines, establishing a timeline that will have the matter in the board’s hands for consideration by late June. In a decision released today (March 20, 2025), […]
CHICAGO — Improvements and 52 stations and replacement of 43 grade crossings are part of Metra’s planned capital projects during its 2025 construction season, the commuter rail operator announced Tuesday, March 18. Track, bridge, and signal work is also on the agenda. “We plan to take full advantage of the construction season to address projects […]
CHICAGO — Metra is having “great luck” with its fleet of SD70MACH locomotives, Chief Operating Officer Kevin McCann told the Sandhouse Rail Group today (Wednesday, March 12, 2025). McCann and Chief Engineering Officer Scott Schiemann updated those attending the Northwestern University Transportation Center event at Metra headquarters on a wide variety of projects and initiatives […]
CHICAGO — For most of Wednesday’s annual presentation to Northwestern University’s Sandhouse Rail Group, representatives of Metra and Northern Indiana Commuter Rail District, or South Shore Line, were able to highlight a string of positive accomplishments and coming attractions. But the tone changed dramatically as the session at Metra headquarters wound down, as someone asked […]
CHICAGO — Metra has begun a rider survey over renaming its lines from their current names — which largely are derived from their historic operators — to one of two alphanumeric systems, one of which also uses color coding to a significant degree. The move is spurred by Metra’s upcoming operational takeover of the three […]
CHICAGO — In the latest twist in Union Pacific’s long-running effort to exit Chicago commuter rail operations, commuter agency Metra has asked the Surface Transportation Board to require UP to allow Metra to continue operating on the three UP lines it serves. Metra’s filing today (March 7, 2025) asks the board to provide terminal trackage […]
UNION, Ill. — Metra has donated F40C No. 614, one of just two such surviving locomotives, to the Illinois Railway Museum. IRM says in a press release that it hopes to restore the locomotive to operating condition. It had seen some cannibalization for parts during its final years in storage at Metra, and is missing […]
OMAHA, Neb. — The slow-moving process transferring operations of three Metra commuter lines from Union Pacific to the commuter operator is projected to take place in mid-April, UP said on Monday. Transfer of some engineering services would follow, UP said. Mechanical and station agent services, along with some management, have already been transferred. Financial aspects […]
CHICAGO — Commuter operator Metra says it is considering the rarely used option of outside financing to address its increasingly urgent need to replace aging bridges. Metra owns 446 of the 926 bridges on its system, and of those 446, 50% are more than 100 years old and another 30% are more than 75 years […]
2024 saw some great model railroad product releases. As we begin a new year, Eric White, Cody Grivno, Mitch Horner, and I take a look back at some Model Railroader’s favorite products of 2024. ScaleTrains HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy steel cupola caboose As you may have heard, Model Railroader’s HO scale staff […]
CHICAGO — Days after a challenge from federal legislators, Amtrak and its partners have applied for four grants which would enable more than $500 million in improvements as part of the program to upgrade Chicago Union Station and related infrastructure. The grant requests for elements of the Chicago Hub Improvement Program met a Dec. 16 […]
