Chicago METRA

[NorthShore]

When we lived in Roselle, we saw theater shows in Chicago several times per year on Saturday nights. Rarely was Metra an option. At that time, the MD-W had trains at 10:40pm and 12:40am. 10:40 was too early for most shows (many ended after 10:30pm) and we were not going to wait until 12:40am.

When we did, the 10:40 was always a little frustrating. It appears they had a 20 to 30 year old service plan which called for only opening two cars. When the train crew made their way from the gate to the train at 10:39pm, they’d discover crush loads in those two, open some more cars, but we wouldn’t depart until 10:42 or 10:43 as they waited for people to spread out. And this happened every single time.

I'm not entirely sure Metra understands their non rush ridership well. What you note about theater or concert goes is one important example. (As it's a significant amount of activity downtown and accounts for a LOT of riders.). Lyric Opera even changed their start times not too long ago to accommodate patrons who were tired of having to wait for later trains, meaning suburban riders might not get home until after 1 A.M. Another are game day riders, who make up a lot of passenger load when one of the sports teams is playing. Old service plans is probably spot on analysis.

 

[NorthShore]

Couple questions I have about Metra just out of curiousity.

How do flag stops work? I know you're supposed to notify the conductor or be visible on the platform, but Metra trains can be long and they have pretty frequent stops. What if you board and can't find the conductor in time for your stop?

Also, why do all Rock Island trains that serve Beverly Hills and Morgan Park stop at Blue Island? Is there just not enough demand for them to continue to Joliet or is it more for operational reasons?

Some Metra platforms (Like at Halstead) seem too short for the entire train, how do you know which car will be on the platform?

Some Metra stations have platforms have a crossing going through the platform (Like Western Springs), how does that work? Do the doors open on the entire train (including those on the street)?

Metra is such an interesting railroad with so many quirks (at least to me, someone who is used to Metrolink), would love to understand their ops a bit more.

Others will chime in, also. But a couple of answers would include that announcements are typically made as to what cars will open doors at certain stations which can not accommodate the entire train. There aren't a ton of flag stops. And I think there is an assumption that you're not going to ride such a short distance that you won't see a conductor or carman, who come around to collect fares, before alighting. They do usually announce that an upcoming station is flag stop only and that you will need to alert train staff for the stop. Of course, at times announcements are not made (or heard) and you're sort of on your own to watch for your stop. This can be particularly problematic at night, when it's not as easy to spot where you are by landmarks, unless they're well lit up.

The Beverly Subdivision of the Rock Island is the "local" service and serves mostly as a shuttle between downtown and Blue Island where there is a cross platform timed transfer that's usually available to the "express" train running on the mainline. Riding through the local stops would add a significant amount of time for riders from downtown continuing to stops beyond Blue Island. Blue Island is, also, a key yard for equipment and the terminus (with a separate station across the street) of the Blue Island branch of the I.C./Metra Electric. It used to be that Beverly branch service of the Rock Island was much more limited, typically to weekday rush. This schedule offers much more reliable service to the area seven days a week.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Couple questions I have about Metra just out of curiousity.

How do flag stops work? I know you're supposed to notify the conductor or be visible on the platform, but Metra trains can be long and they have pretty frequent stops. What if you board and can't find the conductor in time for your stop?

Some Metra platforms (Like at Halstead) seem too short for the entire train, how do you know which car will be on the platform?

Some Metra stations have platforms have a crossing going through the platform (Like Western Springs), how does that work? Do the doors open on the entire train (including those on the street)?

Typically, on my line, they will announce which car to alight from for flag stops - normally the head car. You will run into one of the conductors (there are always at least two working the train). The train will slow down if there is a flag stop to check for flaggers - if they didn't they would also get too far ahead of schedule (if there are a lot of stops). At short platforms only some doors will open - similar announcements are made about short platforms.

 

[John Bredin]

Metra releases 2025 budget with no fare increases or service cuts.

Balanced using much, but not all, of the remaining COVID relief. Which IMHO is the right decision, if for no other reason that it's a clear recognition that the past "remedy" of higher and higher fares and less and less service is not a solution but a death-spiral.

It does pass the ball squarely to the Illinois legislature, and hopefully to Congress as the Chicago-area transit agencies are by no means the only ones facing such a fiscal cliff. Which IMHO isn't "passing the buck" but expecting systemic solutions from those elected to address systemic issues.

 

[JLChicago]

I think Union would really have to be rebuilt before this could truly happen. It probably would or could eliminate the need for Olgivie and LaSalle Street as well, even if some of the trains only ran through to the yards.

There are only 2-3 tracks at Union that run through and only one has a sort of platform. The others are meant for repositioning moves.

 

[JLChicago]

It wouldn't be cheap, and would require electrification, but Metra could have a Loop tunnel linking all the lines for through service.

The plan for a tunnel north-south under Clinton Street has been around for years. The Metra Electric and NICTD run below grade and essentially in a tunnel under Millennium Park. The hard part (other than the $$$) is connecting the two with east-west tunnels.

The southern link could go under the Eisenhower Expy./Congress Pkwy., or maybe a bit farther south. The northern link would probably have to be more or less due east from the tracks coming into Union Station from the north. In other words, under or near Kinzie St. or Fulton St./Wacker Dr. I'm no engineer, so I have no idea if the Chicago River and existing tunnels would unduly complicate matters.

I don't picture all Metra trains on a more frequent electrified regional system using this Super-Loop. Some would still terminate/originate at the existing terminals. And the rolling stock would have to be different to accommodate smaller crowds getting off (and simultaneously boarding) a continuing train vs. one large crowd getting off at a terminal. But it would add a lot of capacity.

Make no small plans!

Millennium park was built over the tracks already there. It’s not a tunnel per se. Digging tunnels under anything existing like roads or buildings is bloody expensive. Forget about it.

 

[JLChicago]

Not be argumentative, but simply pedantic (oh no I'm turning into the Tim Traveller) - MED actually runs at grade and the ground was raised around it - I can't find the picture online readily showing how Grant Park and the area around the Field Museum were raised up with spoil from the Chicago Tunnel System construction (in fact the tunnel to the Field Museum was built at grade from Central Station with an elevator and buried - diesel fumes from the yard would sometimes penetrate the museum).

It would add capacity and make quicker dwell times at each station - MED already does that with it's three downtown stations, but the tunnels would have to be VERY deep to go under the existing tunnels and foundations that are in the loop and carefully avoid the deep tunnel system (storm drainage system), however, I think that is mostly immediately under the river in the loop/downtown area. It'd be like the Elizabeth Line in that regard with extremely deep stations.

My personal take is rebuilding Union for run through makes more sense for a more affordable and in service sooner service. Another advantage would be allowing Amtrak services to run through as well (the non-electrified ones that is).

I always believed like you did that the ME ran at grade through downtown. But indeed it was depressed about four feet c1900 before the parkland was built around it. The city required it for some reason. It must be barely above lake level because the trestle before it was probably only five or six feet above the water.