If the Conductors and Engineers, as well as other crafts choosing to honor their picket lines, go on strike nationally at 1201A Friday Sep 16, the BNSF and all three UP lines would be shut down, as the C&E on those trains are employees of BNSF or UP as the case may be.
The Rock Island and the IC Electric will be unaffected as those are operated by employees of the NICTD.
The METRA Press Release makes no mention of the MILW , SOO, GM&O, or WAB lines:
https://metra.com/#metra_service_alerts_System
Fair Use (entirety):
The Rock Island and the IC Electric will be unaffected as those are operated by employees of the NICTD.
The METRA Press Release makes no mention of the MILW , SOO, GM&O, or WAB lines:
https://metra.com/#metra_service_alerts_System
Fair Use (entirety):
At Metra, we appreciate our customers and understand that the services we provide are essential to the Chicago region. For that reason, it is important that we do our best to keep you informed about events that may impact our ability to provide the services that you rely upon.
Unfortunately, a potential work stoppage by freight railroad workers, which could possibly begin Friday, Sept. 16, may directly impact Metra’s ability to operate most of its services.
With the exception of the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines, Metra’s nine other lines either use tracks owned by freight railroads, intersect with tracks operated by our freight partners, or are dispatched by freight railroads.
Four of our lines, the BNSF and Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West, are owned by and directly operated by freight railroads. If the work stoppage occurs, we expect there will not be service on these lines.
We will be able to operate service on the two lines that we own, operate and control – the Metra Electric and Rock Island lines. On the other lines, we are in communication with the relevant freight railroads to understand how we may be impacted and to determine our options.
Negotiations between the freight railroads and unions are ongoing, and we are hopeful that a settlement will be reached before the strike deadline. However, we want you to be aware of this issue so that you can make alternate plans for travel should a work stoppage occur.
We are monitoring the negotiations and will share any updates as soon as we can.