While I didn't go to the meeting, I had a bad experience when they did a concentrated track work weekend. METRA anounced that there would be delays and that trains would be rescheduled. On Friday night, I went downtown to a CERA meeting. Normal evening service has trains departing Union Station at 8:40 PM,9:40 PM, 10:40 PM, 11:41 PM & 12:45 AM. For the work period the schedule had departures at 9:00 PM, 10:40 PM, 11:40 PM, & 1:15 PM. I typically can make the 9:40 departure but accepted the 10:40 as ok. Got to Chicago Union Station and waited. And waited. Announcements made that the incoming equipment was delayed, then after more announcements, that the train would depart at 11:40 PM. More announcements. Then one stating that the departure would be at 1:15 AM. Which it did. Train made nomal schedule to Brookfield and then we waited. Work blitz had tracks 2 & 3 both out of service. So we waited for Eastbound trains to clear. Then after about 30 minutes we proceeded at slow speed which I understood and we passed two work trains, BNSF on track 2 and Herzog on track 3. Normally, I would have been in DG at 10:35 PM. Got to Downers Grove at about 2:15 AM. Had we left by 11:00 PM I would have been accepting. But BNSF and Metra did NOT have their act together. Delays for work are understandable but don't promise something and then FAIL so badly. As we were getting ready to board the train, there were some METRA management people discussing whether to get an UBER to get home. To date, I have never taken an UBER. I have been on METRA's BNSF line previously with delays do to work delays and just found them interesting experiences. But nothing like this. S**T happens. But I think this was a real planning screwup. Some manager must have committed that they could run specific trains on one track and get equipment through the work zone on a plan but BNSF didn't deliver on the plan. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I have never heard why they promised what they could not do.
We have to wonder if this flip back requirement for METRA could be mitigated. Is this a result of over engineering PTC ? Denver is certainly asking that question !
I don't think that deferred maintenance is an issue on this line. The installation of PTC has forced Metra to lengthen the turnaround time of some of the flipbacks which cascades into multiple schedule adjustments, which is an irritant to a fair number of riders.
As far as the overcrowding goes, there may not be an answer to that problem at this point. Ridership is up, Metra has almost no spare equipment and the line is operating at close to capacity during rush periods.
This used to be one of the most reliable lines in the system. Deferred maintenance: pay now or pay more later.
I suppose PTC related delays are reasonable...
CHICAGO — A key member of the House Transportation Committee publicly criticized BNSF Railway and Chicago’s Metra commuter rail line Tuesday for having “failed all too often” to provide reliable and acceptable service within t...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/12/11-congressman-metra-bnsf-failed-all-too-often-on-commuter-service
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
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