Metra Milwaukee west and new amtrak line

How crowded is Ogilvie? Would it make sense to install switches at A2 that would allow for cross-fleeting of UP-W and MILW trains?

At first glance, Ogilvie has a lot of extra capacity. 16 tracks for its three lines vs. 8 used by Metra at CUS-N (but two of those see limited use due to lack of Madison St. access). But it seems a lot more equipment gets left at Ogilvie during the day meaning fewer deadheads (especially during rush hour - if trains had to be cleared out of Ogilvie the way they have to be cleared out of CUS-N, that would probably be another 10 moves through A-2 during rush hour).
Add switches at A-2? Why not. MD track 3 already crosses on a set of four double-slip switches so the angle would seem to be OK to changed MD tracks 1 and 2 to double-slips as well (note that MD track 3 is not directly accessible from the MD Western Ave. yard so no direct yard moves can currently be made between Ogilvie and Western Ave.)..
Tradition and labor are probably the biggest barrier to doing it. It would take negotiation with the UP and Metra crews to do it.

lstone19 wrote:At first glance, Ogilvie has a lot of extra capacity. 16 tracks for its three lines vs. 8 used by Metra at CUS-N (but two of those see limited use due to lack of Madison St. access). But it seems a lot more equipment gets left at Ogilvie during the day meaning fewer deadheads (especially during rush hour - if trains had to be cleared out of Ogilvie the way they have to be cleared out of CUS-N, that would probably be another 10 moves through A-2 during rush hour).
Add switches at A-2? Why not. MD track 3 already crosses on a set of four double-slip switches so the angle would seem to be OK to changed MD tracks 1 and 2 to double-slips as well (note that MD track 3 is not directly accessible from the MD Western Ave. yard so no direct yard moves can currently be made between Ogilvie and Western Ave.)..
Tradition and labor are probably the biggest barrier to doing it. It would take negotiation with the UP and Metra crews to do it.

I was also wondering about whether a CUS North line could be reassigned to Ogilvie to free up capacity there. You made some valid points on why that may be easier said than done.

Here's something else I wonder about. Why does UP still provide the crews to run these lines and why do they still own the Harvard and Kenosha subdivisions? It's probably explained elsewhere on the forum, but I'm too lazy to go look it up. xP