Metra readies for winter

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor

As the temperature drops, Chicago-area Metra has taken a variety of steps this year to be better equipped to deal with cold and snowy weather and better prepared to deliver critical information to its passengers.

 

In addition to its usual winter preparation efforts, Metra has acquired new snow-fighting equipment, upgraded its website and made other changes that will improve its response and performance in severe weather and make it easier for riders to plan ahead or be informed of real-time changes or delays.

“Nobody wants a repeat of last winter – the coldest and snowiest winter since Metra was formed in 1984. We believe the steps we have taken leave us and our riders better prepared for winter’s punch,” said Metra Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Don Orseno.

Metra notes keeping yards clear of snow and ice is critical to maintaining timely service during winter months. Blocked switches and tracks in yards can restrict train movement, resulting in congestion that can prevent trains from reaching their originating stations in a timely manner. Metra says hot-air jet blowers help with this task, but in bitter cold, the snow and ice melted by those blowers can sometimes refreeze and create new problems. Metra now has three new cold-air blowers, which can forcefully clear ice and snow without melting it with a 525-mph blast of air. They can travel over roads or rails and have articulated arms to change the direction of the air, making them more versatile than the rail-based hot-air jet blowers, which can only blow in one direction. Bad weather can also cause delays in delivering jet fuel to yards so Metra is installing tanks in the yards to store fuel so it is always available.

Metra has switch heaters on all its mainline switches and has now added switch heaters to the 20 most critical switches at its Western Ave. Coach Yard.

This year, Metra completed the second phase of a major upgrade/reconfiguration of its A5 interlocker, at the junction between the Milwaukee North and West (also used by the North Central Service) lines. Nineteen switches were completely replaced. Four more will be replaced next year and two will be added.

Next year, Metra will continue an upgrade its A2 interlocker, the busiest switching location in the system, by replacing the movable steel points and air lines and will replace three interlockers on the Milwaukee District.

New switches and old switches are equally vulnerable to the problem that plagued Metra during the snowy and cold winter last year: Snow and ice accumulates on the underside of locomotives and train cars and then falls off the train, into a switch, as the train rumbles through the switch. The snow and ice can then prevent the movable part of the switch from making contact with the rail. If that contact can’t be made, an electric circuit cannot be completed and, as a failsafe, the signal system will not permit a train to proceed over the switch.

The switch must be cleared manually, which can take time and lead to delays – particularly if it happens at a busy switching location. Metra routinely assigns maintainers to key switching locations during winter storms to keep the switches clear.

Metra made additional changes to how it communicates with riders including improved e-mail alerts, an updated “Rail-time Tracker” tool, enhancements to its GPS Center and added radios and reallocated bullhorns used by its Customer Response Teams at downtown stations so they can more easily convey information to passengers.

Metra and Union Pacific established a Customer Assistance Team made up of UP managers to assist at Ogilvie Transportation Center. The team can deploy at a moment’s notice. Additionally, Metra has changed the uniform colors (goldenrod) of its communication supervisors to be more recognizable as Metra employees.

Metra has been working with Amtrak (its landlord at Union Station), U.S. Equities (which manages the building for Amtrak) and BNSF Railway to improve the plan for handling pedestrian traffic and communications during service disruptions at the facility, particularly on the concourse that serves the BNSF Line. This safe passenger waiting and routing plan is being finalized now.

Metra has identified 200 of its older cars – ranging from 30 to 60 years old – that had the biggest issues last winter with door problems and flagged them for repair.

Metra has also completed its annual winterization on it entire fleet, during which numerous repairs were made where needed.

“Harsh weather impacts all modes of transportation, with cancelled flights and icy highways and of course, it will always impact our trains and rails as well. Metra will constantly seek improvements that boost our safety and reliability, even in the most challenging conditions and we pledge to communicate to riders as much as possible so they can get where they need to go,” Orseno said.

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