Metra Extra/Modified Schedules

The usual pre-memorial day schedule was posted today... everything seems to be the normal stuff, except RI. Metra has a 3:40 train departing, which is always the case... except they have decided the last few extra's to scratch the idea of a Tinley express and go with the same old Blue Island express. This move does not make sense when a 3:45 train departs LaSalle making all mainline stops (minus Gresham)...

http://metrarail.com/Service_Advisories ... _2008.html

Glad they left UP/W 47 alone, and kept the OTC-Wheaton express. But one unusual wrinkle in the "early quit specials" is that on the electric side, early afternoon departures are scheduled for the main line, and there are three rush hour cancellations, there'll be no deadheading. That's a new one...

They haven't been posted online yet but July 3 schedules for the CUS lines are now available. I haven't had a chance to look at them yet but if history shows, I don't really see them being different than in past years.

6/25/08 update
I have a copy of the July 3 schedule for the BNSF. I'm surprised that nothing has been posted yet on Metra's web site in regards to July 3 service or any other extra service for the Taste of Chicago. Much like last year, trains in the 9400 series are extras and trains in the 9500 series are regularly scheduled trains that have time shifts.

6/26/08 update
July 3rd schedules are now posted
http://metrarail.com/Service_Advisories ... _main.html

Interesting note about UP service...with the exception of the UP-N having train 365 held until 10:10pm vs. its published 9:35pm OTC departure time, post-fireworks extra trains are listed this year for the UP-W/NW lines. Including one train being held on each until after 10pm, UP-W has 3 extra trains, UP-NW has 4 extras.

RI also has an interesting schedule as there is extra outbound afternoon service, two of which are Tinley Park express trains. As for the evening, the 9:45 departure is being held til 10:15. There is one less branch extra running compared to last year. Inbound service was also reduced, two mainline and one branch train do not run this year. There is actually no added mainline inbound service to the Rock, they basically just split each train into a mainline and branch run.

It does appear that extra service across the board is not as big as last year... possibly proof that Metra is really operating with a limited budget. The one that that does seem to be unchanged, is BNSF. I think its a bit confusing how Metra decided to post the information online about the changes... they should have just posted the entire new schedules like they have done before.

There is one BNSF equipment cycle that will prove to be confusing on July 3, assuming that there isn't an equipment change. According to the schedule, eastbound train #1288 (5:20pm Aurora local) will become an express train and is renumbered to #9506. I'm assuming that #9506 will not be cut from #1243 and will run with 11 cars. I wonder where a set will come from to do the subsequent evening runs...

Chances are the usual cycle will change so the 11 car set stays downtown until after the fireworks, thats the best bet. Metra has also yet to announce online any addition to weekend service... any news of this happening on BNSF?

No other extra service has been announced which is very surprising, considering all the activities taking place downtown this weekend even if you don't factor in the Taste.

Something interesting to me about RI's 3rd schedule is:

Clearly this was not fully thought through, sure one train could be put on track 1, the other on 2.. but with inbound train #532 arriving into Robbins at 11, and Vermont Street at 11:03, only one track is open for outbound trains.

metraRI wrote:It does appear that extra service across the board is not as big as last year... possibly proof that Metra is really operating with a limited budget

Which could help to explain why, unlike last year, there is no modified inbound service on 7/3 during the AM rush on UP/N, the regular schedule is in effect. Despite the recent addition of weekend expresses, this line traditionally has seen the fewest outbound extras for the post-Taste fireworks, and this year is no exception, none are operating. Equipment limitations may also play a role, since there's only one or two sets eight cars or longer that are regularly assigned here...

http://metrarail.com/Service_Advisories ... xtras.html

Unlike in past years, there's no extra express train running ahead of #1293. This was made possible by terminating #1285 at Lisle and transferring passengers to #1287. #1285's set would be deadheaded back to CUS and become the extra express train. I mentioned this last year that runing a seasonal express on Friday and Saturday ahead of the 8:40pm CUS departure is a good idea and could feasibly be done.

So as it turned out, RI's online schedule for the 3rd was not complete, as it did not list canceled trains which were 415, 613, and 303. As for service to the taste, #418 was a jammed 8 car set running about 15 minutes late by the time it arrived into downtown... with two extra trains arriving into Joliet before this train, maybe it would be wise for Metra to add an additional inbound before this train. I rode the last mainline express back, leaving LaSalle 10 minutes late at 11:10. This 9 car train had 8 full cars while the first car was barely used.

Another interesting note was that RI's 10 car set was double headed today... wonder if this is a permanent move.

A few noteworthy items about Metra's 7/3 service on UP/W...

--Most trains throughout the day were either 8 or 9 cars, one of the notable exceptions was 45, which was a 5-car set, three fewer than normal. Likely to be one of the two sets of Elburn-based equipment for tomorrow's (7/4) holiday runs, but I'm sure there's going to be an eight or nine car set coming out too...

--WX1 ran pretty much on time, getting thru Wheaton at approx. 1615 or so. But it actually went back downtown as WX-2, think that's the first time I've seen "special" schedule trains do a round trip like that...

--Even with three extra stops tacked on to 47's modified schedule east of Wheaton, it still ran fairly close to schedule. Normally, this is UP/W's busiest rush hour train, but passenger loads were pretty light today by comparison, not more than 50% of what it usually is. Cab 8438 used on this run, wound up on tonite's (delayed) 71...

--56 was one of the most crowded trains heading into the city, it was at least 15 down into Elmhurst. This train definitely could've used one more car, it ran with eight. Mercifully, commuter control turned it into an express the rest of the way into OTC...

--While freight traffic was light to moderate during the afternoon, it was a LOT heavier later into the evening as the extra trains were heading west. For awhile, the triple-track section between Elmhurst and West Chgo was actually a "right-handed" freight railroad, with eastbounds running down the center, westbounds on track 1 (normally signalled for EB moves), and westbound Metras on track 3. It was particularly busy between 11:45pm and 12:30am; nine trains came through Wheaton in that span, 3 Metra and six freights, complete with plenty of horn action and radio chatter, and the MP29 detector was steadily buzzing every few minutes.

--And finally, a nine-car set with cab 8430 had been assigned to trains 41 & 26 for the better part of a month, and it's also been part of the weekend lineups recently as well. Today, it was nowhere to be seen. I might've missed it, but if this set doesn't run this Saturday morning on 500 as it has lately, then it's a good bet that the equipment has rotated elsewhere. (Note to self: Next year, do a better job of jotting down engine and cab numbers, so at least SOME of the guesswork can be eliminated)

Extra service for the afternoon/evening of Saturday 7/26/08 is posted. Interesting to note is that there's only one extra leaving after the fireworks on both MILW district lines. You'd think there'd be at least one extra inbound in the evening, unless I'm missing something here. I think RI has had an extra train or two in the past for Venetian night. And BNSF is unchanged. Will be interesting to see how crowded BNSF #9400 will be as I will be riding that train downtown for the boat show and fireworks.

It will probably be another case of unad extra's on RI... In 2006, only BNSF and RI had extra service... interesting shift.

MetraBNSF wrote:Extra service for the afternoon/evening of Saturday 7/26/08 is posted. Interesting to note is that there's only one extra leaving after the fireworks on both MILW district lines. You'd think there'd be at least one extra inbound in the evening, unless I'm missing something here. I think RI has had an extra train or two in the past for Venetian night. And BNSF is unchanged. Will be interesting to see how crowded BNSF #9400 will be as I will be riding that train downtown for the boat show and fireworks.

Longer (8, 9, or perhaps 10) car sets might be used for the regularly scheduled late afternoon/early evening inbounds on the Milw side, while deadheading equipment to CUS for the extra outbound run, just a guess. No extras for UP/W, but I'm fully expecting 9-car sets will be the norm on Saturday...