In The News

[EricL]

Wow, ridiculous. I know that lots of well-to-do people ride Metra, but it still seems to detract from the idea that public transport is accessible to anyone.

Shoot, if you have that kind of money to blow, you should be taking a private jet to work. Oh wait, da Mare tore up Meigs Field...

[metraRI]

An article focused on South Shore's new weekend schedule mentioned ridership was down %7.2 for SS during the first quarter of the year. Metra has also seen a drop at %6. I have not noticed any trains with fewer cars due to this, as of yet... yesterday one RI train ran short a car, guessing this was a one day thing. Any changes on any other district? I also wonder if Metra would start to reduce some services, perhaps putting UP-N and MD-N back to service levels before last May.. expecially since the Edens construction has since finished.

[doepack]

There haven't been any changes to the weekday sets on UP/W, although for the last two weeks, Saturday trains 501 & 506 have been 5 cars. That's plenty for 501, but not nearly enough for 506, as this is by far the busiest inbound late-morning train on Saturdays; it was pretty much SRO after Wheaton. But I'm guessing that's temporary, since more nine-car sets will see weekend action as summer begins.

And it probably wouldn't be a bad idea for Metra to shave some UP/N service, particularly those early morning weekday Winnetka runs that were implemented when the Edens work began last year. Maybe just keep one of them, then turn the other outbounds into non-revenue equipment moves, since most of them seem to run nearly empty anyway...

[doepack]

RTA isn't quite ready for change. Wow, that's a shock...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... 566.column

[metraRI]

"Lovana S. “Lou” Jones/Bronzeville, at 35th and Federal streets" is apparently what the new station at 35th Street will be called. Wonder if this is the longest name for a Metra stop... kinda curious how they will make that fit on schedules and signs.

http://www.chicagodefender.com/article- ... jones.html

On another note, also appears online ticket sales will happen in September. Not sure if this also means the new web site will be put into place at that time.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transporta ... 09.article

[byte]

I wonder if a reporter misread their source and read it as the stop being called that, when maybe that's just what they're naming the station building or shelter. It would be infinitely more logical to just name it 35th, especially since the Rock already has a bunch of stops that are just east-west street numbers.

[doepack]

On another note, also appears online ticket sales will happen in September. Not sure if this also means the new web site will be put into place at that time.

Since Metra is now legally required to begin accepting credit card payments with a September deadline, they'll have to include the option on the current site, regardless if it's been upgraded by then or not. It's also interesting that the article in the Chicago Defender made only scant mention of the station's proximity to the ballpark, which is the real reason it's being built...

[justalurker66]

"Lovana S. “Lou” Jones/Bronzeville, at 35th and Federal streets" is apparently what the new station at 35th Street will be called. Wonder if this is the longest name for a Metra stop... kinda curious how they will make that fit on schedules and signs.

At worst I'd read the name of the stop as "Lovana S. “Lou” Jones/Bronzeville" with the cross street mentioned in the article not being part of the name. "Jones/Bronzeville" would suffice for a short name. They can put the full name on the building but other signs/schedules can be shorter. (Unless Chicago politics demand something more.)

[metraRI]

Since Metra is now legally required to begin accepting credit card payments with a September deadline, they'll have to include the option on the current site, regardless if it's been upgraded by then or not. It's also interesting that the article in the Chicago Defender made only scant mention of the station's proximity to the ballpark, which is the real reason it's being built...

I have read the deadline was in Feb '10... unless there are multiple deadlines.

"There's also start-up fees of $745,000 for designing a Web site, $80,000 for credit equipment at staffed ticket booths and $1.4 million for automatic vending machines. The General Assembly recently approved legislation forcing Metra to accept credit starting in February and requiring it to be fully integrated by 2012. On the heels of that, the Metra board in May announced its own strategy to go plastic. The Web site will enable travelers to buy 10-ride or monthly passes."

[metraRI]

Intersting article in the AP:
Train engineers traumatized by fatal collisions

[byte]

That article looks very familiar. Looks like a reprint of something that appeared a few years ago on some local news outlet (the Tribune?) with updated statistics [i.e., 2008 instead of 2004]. I specifically remember the mention of the female engineer who hit someone on her first day.

[metraRI]

Village (Lemont) taps residents to speak up for more train service:
http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/lemont/ne ... in-service

Heritage Corridor line wish list
• Fourth morning and evening rush-hour train
• Mid-day service on weekdays
• Saturday train service
• New train stop at 135th and New Avenue in Romeoville

It is kinda sad when the "wishlist" is 4 rush hour trains and mid-day service. Saturday might be pushing it for HC.

[metraRI]

Ok, so not exactly in the news.. but stumbled upon this:
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/rts0909/#/0
Has a lot of info about various projects around Metra, from UP-N to painting LaSalle Street Station.

[byte]

Apparently there was a locomotive fire on the RI beverly branch early this morning: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009 ... train.html

Anyone know the loco number in question?

[metraRI]

Apparently there was a locomotive fire on the RI beverly branch early this morning: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009 ... train.html

Anyone know the loco number in question?

I saw train #523 which turns to #402 last night, leading that train was an F40... what I think was 181, but could be mistaken on the number.