Service Disruptions

Train #714, scheduled to arrive Chicago at 12:23 p.m., is operating 200 to 210 minutes behind schedule due to weather conditions. Update 3:00 p.m....

That's inbound UP NW from Harvard.

UP lines are a mess.

Due to weather conditions, the last inbound train is #48, scheduled to depart Elburn at 12:25 p.m and arrive Chicago at 1:47 p.m. The last outbound train for today will be #507, scheduled to depart Chicago at 4:40 p.m., making all scheduled stops to Elburn. Metra will update this site as information becomes available. Commuters may wish to use the BNSF Railway as an alternate means of travel. Update 5:01 p.m.

Metra will end service early on UPN, UPNW, UPW, and MDN. Final trains on UPW departed at 4:40, MDN at 5:35, and UPNW/UPN at 6:30/6:35. As of now, Metra has hinted at a modified weekday schedule for tomorrow, nothing has been annouced as of 5:20.

Metra is running modified schedules on the three UP lines and the BNSF, with fewer trains than normal again. Everyone else is running on a normal weekday schedule.

CTA Yellow line is still out of service and Pink is short turning at Pulaski.

The Blizzard has definitely affected BNSF/METRA/Amtrak operations. Yesterday, BNSF 1270 (arr CUS 442P) was some 25 minutes late (and that only because it ran non-stop La Grange to CUS) account "an obstruction at Hinsdale'. That "obstruction" appeared to be a WB MTY Coal train sitting inexplicably on 2 Track, but appeared on the rails. Speed restricted to 45mph over ice packed grade X-ings (appeared to be normal speed of 70 East of LaVernge where there are no more grade X-ings).

Oh, and off the rails, look who else is again on sick leave (reason for my journey into town last evening):

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... 723.column

Anyone notice the South Shore train that was listed as 3 hours late due to mechanical problems. How do you have one train that late in the EB PM rush, and not effect the followers?

ohioriverrailway wrote:Anyone notice the South Shore train that was listed as 3 hours late due to mechanical problems. How do you have one train that late in the EB PM rush, and not effect the followers?

Double track and lack of opposing trains during rush. Although the train I saw listed as 3 hours late was #9 ... which is supposed to be a midday train (depart Chicago at 12:38p with the next train at 2:35p and 3:15p - peak trains start at 4:02p).

Compressors are freezing up on the South Shore trains. They had more problems this morning with 701, which delayed 703 (single track eastbound to South Bend) and the return train 502 (normally 701's equipment).

That track obstruction was a stalled car getting hit by a train in Hinsdale. Today a piece of snow removal equipment was sturck by a freight train just West of Fairview Avenue. The equipment ended up striking the CB&Q signal bridge at the Fairview Avenue crossing. Damage to the signal bridge appears minor, but I'm not sure if any wires or things connected to the signals were messed up yet.

A mess on the Milw West this morning (TG it's President's Day or it would have been worse). 2210 (7:36a CUS arrival and the train I was waiting for at Roselle) apparently died at Barlett. It was announced that 2214 (Hanover Park originator and 7:57a arrival) would pick up in Barlett and then run all stops to Franklin Park. Nothing was said about 2212 (Roselle originator out of Elgin and 7:53a arrival) but it somehow got around the dead 2210 and operated normally (Roselle, Medinah, and then all stops from Mannheim) so I was on it. I was surprised they didn't have it pick up west of Roselle - we certainly had the space (I was in the second car and I don't think it was more than 1/3 full). Meanwhile, from a co-worker who was on 2214, it was crush loads by Itasca so it ran non-stop from there to Western Ave. and they had 2216 (which should be Schaumburg, Franklin Park, Western Ave.) add Itasca, Wood Dale, and Bensenville. And meanwhile, we had all those seats go begging on 2212.

That would explain why I saw a switcher heading West past the Grand stop around 10:45 am.

Supposedly #306 on the UP North line had a radiator failure this morning and made it's passengers over an hour late. They were transferred to #308. Anybody have any idea what engine was on 306 this morning?

Word from another list says the troublemaker was METX149, assigned to Wed. morning's 306 run...

Delays on the Milwaukee West tonight and expected into tomorrow due to a freight train derailment in Franklin Park. The derailed freight, which apparently was eastbound and tore up quite a bit of track including, it appears, a switch at B-12 (CN Crossing), is sitting on Track 1 blocking the River Grove station. Westbounds are running on Track 2 which means they don't platform from Galewood through Elmwood Park impacting station stops (select cars only are opening at the pedestrian crossings). At River Grove, the inbound platform services Track 2 but with the derailed train there, everything to the north is cutoff (Metra is busing from Elmwood Park for those who need to get to that side - trains that normally stop at River Grove but not Elmwood Park are stopping at Elmwood Park). Lots of Metra workers were on the Des Plaines River bridge looking at it.

I was on 2231 (4:50p departure with Franklin Park first), We were the predicted 10 minutes late although it's not clear to me that it was due to the derailment. Instead of going out Track 3, we went out 1 (I think there were parallel inbounds on 2 and 3). At A-2, we stopped for a few minutes, then crossed to 2, across the UP, and then to 3 (I could see an eastbound waiting at Western Ave. with another behind it). Of course, after making the turn at A-5, we then crossed back to 2. Perhaps a delayed eastbound related to the derailment on 3 was the reason for us going out 1 but then why cross us to 3 at A-2 rather than just running us out 1 and crossing us to 2 at A-5 (on second thought, maybe it was so Milw West trains would be where passengers expected them at Western Ave,. except that 2231 is the one train that skips Western Ave.).

Upshot is 1 is out of service from B-12 to wherever the next crossover is along with the northern of the two connecting tracks for the North Central trains. Fortunately, the second 2 to 1 crossover (as you go west) is usable as well as the southern NCS connector.

lstone19 wrote:Delays on the Milwaukee West tonight and expected into tomorrow due to a freight train derailment in Franklin Park. The derailed freight, which apparently was eastbound and tore up quite a bit of track including, it appears, a switch at B-12 (CN Crossing), is sitting on Track 1 blocking the River Grove station. Westbounds are running on Track 2 which means they don't platform from Galewood through Elmwood Park impacting station stops (select cars only are opening at the pedestrian crossings). At River Grove, the inbound platform services Track 2 but with the derailed train there, everything to the north is cutoff (Metra is busing from Elmwood Park for those who need to get to that side - trains that normally stop at River Grove but not Elmwood Park are stopping at Elmwood Park).

The Metra website isn't clear on this as it mentions the ongoing delays on Milwaukee West, but: Is River Grove still open to those who don't need to use the shuttle buses, which would be folks coming to, or leaving the station from the south side of the tracks? Or was/is Metra not stopping there at all?

lstone19 wrote:I was on 2231 (4:50p departure with Franklin Park first), We were the predicted 10 minutes late although it's not clear to me that it was due to the derailment. Instead of going out Track 3, we went out 1 (I think there were parallel inbounds on 2 and 3). At A-2, we stopped for a few minutes, then crossed to 2, across the UP, and then to 3 (I could see an eastbound waiting at Western Ave. with another behind it). Of course, after making the turn at A-5, we then crossed back to 2. Perhaps a delayed eastbound related to the derailment on 3 was the reason for us going out 1 but then why cross us to 3 at A-2 rather than just running us out 1 and crossing us to 2 at A-5 (on second thought, maybe it was so Milw West trains would be where passengers expected them at Western Ave,. except that 2231 is the one train that skips Western Ave.).

Maybe the A2 operator was trying to get 2231 around something else. Do you recall seeing another train (which possibly could have been MDN Deerfield local 2133, leaves two minutes before 2231) on track 1 between A-2 & A-5?