High Level platforms and Proof of Payment are a proven way of speeding rail service

High Leval platforms means fast passenger egress and degress. I personaly dont like having to push my bike up and down stairs. The galley double deck cars are unique to Chicago and other cities that use double deck cars do not have open galleys like North Star and MARC trains. I would also reduce conductor fatigue by going with a proof of payment system like LA Metrolink and GO Trains..High Level boarding should be standard at at least the first 15 stations out of the Loop..Seems that a lot of METRA is still stuck in the past here

Uh, the gallery cars used in Chicago are also used by VRE (Washington DC area) and CalTrain (former Southern Pacific commuter line in San Francisco).

Arguably, it's things like people bringing bikes on the train that slowing things down more than the level of the platforms.

Metra might be stuck in the past, but per your own admission, they're one of the highest volume systems nationwide, so they must be doing something right.

The higher volume is due to the fact that Chicago has both a strong downtown with retail,finance and goverment and 2 sub downtowns vis a via Evanston IL (Northwest University) and University of Chicago Neighborhood. Downtown LA is tiny compared to Chicago https://ctycms.com/ca-dtla/docs/dcbid-d ... -north.pdf. What METRA is eventualy going to evolve into is what Germany and Berlin have is a S-Baughn which is higher frequency inner ring suburban commuter rail service comparable to some of the SEPTA R5 and Long Island Railroad routes. High Leval platforms and Proof of Payment systems would be part of that. for more on S-Bahn [url][https://sbahn.berlin/en/about-us/compan ... erlin//url] and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Bahn

A partial inner ring might be feasible if built along the old CNW Skokie Valley and Cragin lines (which parallels Cicero Ave), but there's no reasonable way for it to turn east. It would essentially wind up as an Evanston to Midway connector that runs thru the western half of the city vs. going thru downtown with a change somewhere... If that's not done by the CTA as third rail, the next most likely vehicle would be DMUs vs. locomotive hauled coaches.

The proposals for running an outer ring along the EJ&E/CN died over ten years ago.

There's no need for high platforms. Level boarding is what speeds service. The new Metra traincar by Alstom will have that.
Proof of payment doesn't speed up service, it allows more efficient use of employee time, which allows more, shorter trains to run on systems with DMUs.

Metra alteady works on a defacto proof of payment given that most of their platforms are wide open with no choke points or barriers. Ticket checks are done during a time when trainmen and conductors are already onboard and circulating in the cars...

Open up and tap your phone screen... done. Flash your paper monthly, done. Cash fare? Takes a minute, but hopefully theres a beltpack printer coming one of these years to get away from the punchpads.... fortunately those numbers are shrinking now that the app is in widespread use, and those without smartphones are also shrinking.

The biggest reason you'll never see a proof of payment system is state law. Metra is required to have at least 50% of operating revenue coming from the farebox. If they can't meet that with the existing ridership, they will need to cut back operations to get to that point. Fewer Peak trains, and possibly fewer services that duplicate like the SWS and NCS.

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andrewjw wrote: ↑Sun Nov 06, 2022 9:59 pm There's no need for high platforms. Level boarding is what speeds service.

THIS !!!

Many people get fixated on HLP as solely 48" high above rail. Its all about the ability walk-on / walk-off and roll-on / roll-off to shave dwell time and minutes off of schedules, no madder if the platform is 9" or 48" above the rail height.

30 % is the FTA standerd for farebox recovery from n the rest of the country’s transit systems