Metra won't penalize railroad partners for chronic delays

[CHamilton]

I thought I had seen this in one of the other threads, but I can't find it now.
Metra won't penalize railroad partners for chronic delays

Metra won't penalize the freight railroads that operate four of its busiest lines for chronic delays and other service meltdowns, because it's vital to maintain friendly partnerships, officials said Friday.
The best approach to ensure that the BNSF Railway Co. and the Union Pacific Railroad provide good customer service and on-time performance is to "work together in harmony," Metra Executive Director Don Orseno said.

The message was seconded by the rail line's chairman, Martin Oberman, who said it was better to have good relationships and not be in "attack mode" with the two railroads that operate the BNSF and three UP lines and also own the tracks on which those trains run....

Last week, a Regional Transportation Authority review of Metra's performance during the winter concluded that the commuter rail agency should seek greater accountability from the two freight railroads. Rather than impose penalties, as some suggested, Metra should provide incentives for the freight railroads to help ensure this, the RTA said.

 

[John Bredin]

While Metra shouldn't be antagonistic towards UP and BNSF, and I can understand not imposing penalties right out of the gate, to "work together in harmony" does not mean casting a blind eye to service issues. Beyond the delays, I've seen UP train crews imposing idiosyncratic "rules" on passengers that would make proud the most irascible my-way-or-the-highway Amtrak conductor of AU legend. :blink: :giggle:

Taking a bicycle onto a UP-run Metra train -- strictly when they're allowed, not during rush-hour in peak direction, or on a listed no-bikes day -- highlights the issues.

I've had some trainmen* tell me that bicycles aren't allowed on the last (that is, first when you board at Ogilvie terminal) car when (1) there's no such rule on the Metra website, and (2) other trainmen have no problem with it.

Once, a trainman told me that I'd better not displace any passengers with my bike when (1) Metra's signage right on the train say regular passengers must make way for the disabled and bicycles when necessary, and (2) another trainman on the same train asked passengers to move for my bike. When we got to Ogilvie, I showed the first "you'd better not..." trainman my monthly pass and told him that I'm not some sort of obstruction or inconvenience to the regular passengers, I am a regular passenger. :angry2: While he didn't apologize, he "clarified" that he didn't mean that I shouldn't displace passengers.

That's not even to mention the several times during bad weather -- not winter snow, but heavy summer storms -- that UP service was suspended for "high winds" while all other Metra lines were running. 547 W. Jackson (Metra HQ) didn't pull the plug, Omaha did, and I'm sure the screen of a dispatcher in an Omaha bunker was telling him that there was a tornado somewhere in the six-county metropolitan area. :blink:

*I use "trainmen" here because Metra train crews have either CONDUCTOR or TRAINMAN on their hat, and while I know a train has only one conductor in the "captain of the ship" sense, I've seen Metra trains with more than one crewman in a CONDUCTOR hat. I don't want to get into a semantics battle.