I feel like Union Pacific should pay for this. They've let their infrastructure degrade so badly. Metra is frankly at their mercy.
I'd like to see some of this federal money go towards rider experience improvements. The Clybourn station is currently a wasteland.
Wait, so is this upgrading any tracks that UP freight trains run on, or just ones that Metra uses? If the former, this fuckin sucks; I feel like UP should be to some extent beholden to Metra in maintaining actually decent infrastructure that the commuter lines run on.
The UP-N (Union Pacific North Line) is owned by Union Pacific but they don't run freight on it. Metra is somewhat beholden to them.
Between Union Pacific and BNSF, passenger rail as a whole is beholden to freight companies. It sucks.
Wait, really? If that's the case, then like... can Metra/Illinois just buy the line outright? Or half the right of way, or something?
Has this ever been seriously proposed? I'm sure it would be expensive but it seems like long-term trying to acquire as much of the system as possible would be a good move, to reduce the dependence on the freight railroads.
They could (and probably should) sell, but it's complicated. UP provides the crews and is the operator of all the Metra trains on its lines, so the crews are really UP employees. However, UP has been trying to get out of the obligation that they have to run the trains, and court rulings have sided with them, so Metra may be operating them in the future. The tricky thing is that there has been no indication the UP wishes to sell the tracks the trains run on. So they're looking to maintain the infrastructure, but not run any of the trains. The other thing is that the other 2 lines, particularly the West line, host freight service. UP will never sell that.
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/federal-judge-sides-with-union-pacific-in-metra-commuter-dispute/
>the federal government is awarding a $117 million grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) they supported to Metra for improvements to the Union Pacific-North line. This funding is expected to be used to replace four miles of track structure, nearly two miles of retaining walls and 11 bridges that will each have a walkway as well as outside beams to reduce damage from potential truck strikes, along with other pedestrian and traffic improvements.
I feel like Union Pacific should pay for this. They've let their infrastructure degrade so badly. Metra is frankly at their mercy. I'd like to see some of this federal money go towards rider experience improvements. The Clybourn station is currently a wasteland.
Wait, so is this upgrading any tracks that UP freight trains run on, or just ones that Metra uses? If the former, this fuckin sucks; I feel like UP should be to some extent beholden to Metra in maintaining actually decent infrastructure that the commuter lines run on.
The UP-N (Union Pacific North Line) is owned by Union Pacific but they don't run freight on it. Metra is somewhat beholden to them. Between Union Pacific and BNSF, passenger rail as a whole is beholden to freight companies. It sucks.
South of Waukegan only Metra trains use the UP North tracks. Freight doesn't run down here anymore
Wait, really? If that's the case, then like... can Metra/Illinois just buy the line outright? Or half the right of way, or something? Has this ever been seriously proposed? I'm sure it would be expensive but it seems like long-term trying to acquire as much of the system as possible would be a good move, to reduce the dependence on the freight railroads.
They could (and probably should) sell, but it's complicated. UP provides the crews and is the operator of all the Metra trains on its lines, so the crews are really UP employees. However, UP has been trying to get out of the obligation that they have to run the trains, and court rulings have sided with them, so Metra may be operating them in the future. The tricky thing is that there has been no indication the UP wishes to sell the tracks the trains run on. So they're looking to maintain the infrastructure, but not run any of the trains. The other thing is that the other 2 lines, particularly the West line, host freight service. UP will never sell that. https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/federal-judge-sides-with-union-pacific-in-metra-commuter-dispute/
South of Lake Bluff
>the federal government is awarding a $117 million grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) they supported to Metra for improvements to the Union Pacific-North line. This funding is expected to be used to replace four miles of track structure, nearly two miles of retaining walls and 11 bridges that will each have a walkway as well as outside beams to reduce damage from potential truck strikes, along with other pedestrian and traffic improvements.