Metra's new Union Pacific North schedule to accommodate bridge replacement work will begin Sunday, Sept. 26. The schedule has been adjusted to address issues that arose after the August 22 schedule change. That change was made due to a major project to rebuild 22 aging bridges on the north side of Chicago, which will require inbound and outbound trains to share a single track in the construction zone.

Essentially, there will be a funnel in the construction zone as two tracks go down to one. Under the old schedule, several outbound and inbound trains passed each other within that stretch. Since they can no longer do that, Metra had to create a schedule in which those trains passed outside the single-track area.

The new adjustments to the schedule were made in an effort to minimize the issues with crowding and delays. Metra removed stops from trains that were operating over capacity and added stops to trains that were under capacity. The agency removed a train towards the end of the morning rush hour and added a train during a critical period during the evening rush hour. In addition, Metra adjusted the schedule so that it more accurately reflected actual operating conditions.

And while it is impossible to fully eliminate the breaks in service due to the constraints of the single-track operation, Metra made some adjustments, where possible, to minimize the length of the breaks at some stops.

Inbound riders who use the Ravenswood Station on the Union Pacific North line should note that after 10 a.m. on Sept. 21, Metra will begin picking up and dropping off passengers at the new temporary platform on the north side of Lawrence Avenue.

The temporary platform will accommodate an eight-car train (up from five cars at the current station), which will speed boarding times and help to keep trains on schedule. Outbound riders will continue to use the existing platform until further notice.