Metra Said Tie Work Will Delay Midday Trains

Tie work will delay UP-NW trains by 30 minutes.

David C. Lester

CHICAGO – Metra announced this week that Union Pacific tie work will delay some trains by 30 minutes.

Union Pacific Railroad needs a little more time to complete tie replacement work on the UP Northwest Line between Barrington and Crystal Lake, which means midday delays of up to 30 minutes are possible through Tuesday, June 20. The work on that section was expected to be done Friday, June 16.

Union Pacific, which owns and maintains the three UP lines in the Metra system, is replacing approximately 116,000 ties on the line between Chicago and Harvard. Tie replacement is essential and must be done at regular intervals to maintain track speeds and service levels. UP will also be performing grade crossing renewal at Main Street in Barrington. Doing this at the same time as the tie project will help to reduce the overall impact on service.

The tie work on the section between Barrington and Crystal Lake is having a greater impact than work on other areas of the line because that stretch has few locations where trains can switch between tracks and an older signal system also affects train movements in the area. Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. until Tuesday, June 20, it may take trains up to 30 minutes longer to travel through the work zone. This includes weekend trains.