…they wouldn’t have any luck at all! Poor Metra (on BNSF)…this is the letter I received today.
Apology For Recent BNSF Delays
Dear BNSF Riders,
Metra would like to apologize for delays on the BNSF line in recent days and assure you that we take them seriously and are working with BNSF Railway to address them.
On Friday morning, inbound train No. 1252 was delayed for about 75 minutes due to a door malfunction at Naperville. The door circuitry cable was damaged by striking debris, disrupting the circuit and preventing the doors from operating properly. We had to send a relief train from Chicago Union Station to accommodate the passengers on 1252.
On Monday evening, BNSF had a total of 13 trains delayed 8 to 56 minutes due to a power failure at the Downers Grove Fairview interlocker, which was caused by a blown fuse. The area is a major switching point used to route express runs around locals during the evening rush hour, and all the switches had to be operated manually, which greatly slowed progress through the area.
On Tuesday evening, 16 BNSF trains were delayed, most of them from 15 to 30 minutes, due to an incident involving signals at Chicago Union Station.
I don’t think that a trespasser will cause the next problem. Two Metra lines, the Southwest Service (ex-Wabash) and the Heritage Line (ex-Alton) cross most other railroads at grade which can lead to delays due to cross traffic, especially with the BRC and IHB crossings. A freight crew will outlaw on Hours Of Service and tie up everything until the train can be re-crewed (it has happened and I’ve been late to work as a result).
Johnny, the letter I got is available to anyone who subscribes to Metra Service Updates for the line in question. I have no way of knowing how many full-time commuters do that. I assume that some people get these updates on their phones…mine might be smart enough for that, but its owner is not. It’s possible that printed copies were distributed as well. Hegewisch Paul, don’t you use this line these days?
(I subscribe to this line’s updates as well as UP West’s, because those are the lines that I could hurry up and get to if anything exciting were happening.)
I’m a daily rider on the Southwest Service, previously a daily rider on BN (before I got married) and the South Shore. I occasionally ride the C&NW West Line when I see the grandchildren during the week.