CHICAGO — Commuters arriving today (Nov. 12) at the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago — the former Chicago & North Western commuter terminal that serves Metra’s UP North, Northwest, and West lines — today may have been a bit surprised to find a train on Track 6 that was definitely not the usual Metra trainset. The Union Pacific executive train was on hand for a 12:30 p.m. “CEO Media Day” trip from downtown to UP’s Global IV intermodal facility in Joliet, via the Belt Railway of Chicago’s Clearing Yard. The roughly 2½-hour trip featured media presentations from CEO Jim Vena and other UP executives on the proposed merger with Norfolk Southern, the complexities of Chicago operations, and other topics.
The six-car train, led by C44ACM No. 6017 and the railroad’s Abraham Lincoln unit, SD70M No. 1616, included a power car, business car St. Louis, sleeping car Lake Mead, dining car City of Denver, dome car City of San Francisco, and inspection car Fox River.
Too bad the classic CNW depot was replaced with a mediocre glass box.