BNSF rail tie project this weekend

Metra will begin significant hiring effort in January.

David C. Lester

BNSF will be working on the railroad this weekend.

It’s going to be a busy weekend on Metra’s BNSF Line to Aurora with a nighttime tie replacement project and with some trains making extra stops at the Western Avenue Station to accommodate music fans attending Riot Fest in Douglass Park.

Starting Friday night, Sept. 17 through Sunday night, Sept. 19, BNSF forces will be replacing 6,200 railroad ties between the Hinsdale and LaVergne stations. On Friday night, inbound trains departing Aurora after 7 p.m. and outbound trains departing Chicago Union Station (CUS) after 7:30 p.m. could see delays of up to 20 minutes due to the construction. On Saturday and Sunday, early morning and late evening trains may also experience delays of up to 20 minutes.

Even with the planned construction work, Metra and the BNSF will also be making additional stops at the Western Avenue Station on Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19 to accommodate music fans attending Riot Fest at Douglass Park. The station is a short walk from the festival site. However, concertgoers should be advised that the last trains of the evening will be delayed by the construction project.

The full BNSF schedule showing trains affected by the tie project construction and highlighting trains that will be making the extra stops for Riot Fest can be found here.