Extra trains for Sox home opener

While looking at the schedules for each of the lines, I saw that BNSF is running two extra trains on Sunday for the White Sox home opener. The extra eastbound train makes all stops to Downers Grove, then express to CUS. After the game, the extra westbound train will make all stops to Aurora.

I think Metra over looked RI. Being the only South-West suburban line and on top of the Dan Ryan construction, I don't see why RI isn't running an express train from Joliet. I wonder what it's going to take in the next few weeks for RI to get an extra inbound and outbound train to accomidate Ex Dan Ryan Drivers.

here's another problem - where do RI riders get off? You would think Metra would build some makeshift wood platforms at 35th with no parking area, just to get people on and off trains before and after games. no stops otherwise at that station - Sox games only.

But that's too easy.

I can actually see why they wouldn't. If they put up temporary platforms, then residents would demand it be a full-service station, not just for Sox games. But other than Sox games, the station would see hardly any use since the CTA lines are cheaper to get downtown. So it's really not worth it for them.

(Plus, right now, Walsh construction is redoing the whole main over there, so there isn't much room for a new plaform until the old mains are taken out of service.)

Kudos to the local pols and govt officials, who want to do this project after the Dan Ryan work is complete - so that way, after the biggest traffic headache in Chicago history is over, we can have train service to the area to alleviate congestion.

And kudos to the &*$%^& that thinks the station needs an architect to design a station house. This station should be like South Shore's Clark Road station - an orange shack, a dirt platform. No more. Maybe some wooden stairs to street level.

Interesting article, I had no idea that something like that was in the works. They're probably holding out until the Ryan construction is finished, just because that's coincidentally when the track relocation on the RI main is scheduled to be finished as well. If they put in new platforms/canopies for the current season, they'd have to tear them out later on (and they might not even be able to put in an outbound platform at all, because that's where the new tracks are going).

And as far as needing an architecht, every building needs one whether it's utilitarian or posh. I do think that Metra would be wise to put in a nicer-than-usual station at this location, since it will probably be the only "representation" Metra gets for themselves with a lot of the potential riders going to the games. A crudely-built station doesn't reflect well on the agency, and people riding it for leisure might be less inclined to do so for work.

I heartily agree that, long-term, Metra should have a "taj-mahal" at 35th to advertise to the suburbanite that doesn't usually take the train.

However, we are faced with the 100 year storm of traffic on the d*mn ryan, and in the two year interim this would solve some big problems having something like this:

http://web.presby.edu/~jtbell/transit/i ... onLake.jpg

We could even steal a "JC Decaux" bus shelter from the CTA for the duration.

byte wrote:I can actually see why they wouldn't. If they put up temporary platforms, then residents would demand it be a full-service station, not just for Sox games. But other than Sox games, the station would see hardly any use since the CTA lines are cheaper to get downtown. So it's really not worth it for them.

(Plus, right now, Walsh construction is redoing the whole main over there, so there isn't much room for a new plaform until the old mains are taken out of service.)

Shea Stadium has a part-time station that is only served on game days and Willets Pt. residents don't get angry about the lack of service, they just take the subway. I don't see how Metra would find a reason not to set up a station at 35th. The locals can take the L.