Metra (officially the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation) is the Chicago area's commuter rail system, serving over 200 stations on 11 lines across the Regional Transportation Authority's six-county service area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties) providing over 67 million rides annually.
| Metra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Chicagoland |
| Transit type | Commuter rail |
| Number of lines | 11 |
| Number of stations | 237 |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1984 |
| Operator(s) | Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) |
| Reporting marks | METX, NIRC |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | Template:Standard gauge (standard gauge) |
History
Pre-Metra Commuter Rail in Chicago
On July 21, 1856, the now defunct Illinois Central Railroad began to operate commuter service between Chicago and Hyde Park, Illinois. Later, in 1926, the Illinois Central Commuter Service became electrified (and would later become the "Metra Electric" line). Later on, in the 1950s, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad introduced the bilevel commuter cars, as did the Chicago and North Western railroad 5 years later. The North Western later went on to develop the cab car, which is still used in Metra service. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad also had commuter service to the city. In 1974, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad began operating its "Transit Districts" on what is now known as the Milwaukee North and Milwaukee West Lines. The three transit districts were known as the North West Suburban Mass Transit District (NWSMTD), South West Suburban Mass Transit District and North Suburban Mass Transit District (NORTRAN). NORTRAN and the NWSMTD were (apart from Metra), the only other railroads ever to use the EMD F40C locomotive, and the F40Cs owned by Metra were all inherited from them.
Reigonal Transportation Authority
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) was formed after a March 1973 referendum to provide financial support from local and county governments to railroads providing commuter service between Chicago and its suburbs. Purchase of service contracts with all the railroads operating commuter service in the area were signed in 1976. In the wake of the 1980 bankruptcy and liquidation of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, the RTA also inherited ownership and operational responsibilities of that railroad's commuter operations (now Metra's Rock Island District) in 1982. The same year it also leased the Milwaukee Road's Suburban Mass Transit District lines. In 1979, the RTA purchased 27 (then) new F40PH locomotives, as well as inheriting 18 E8/E9 locomotives, and two F7 units. (They would later come in possession of 45 F40PH-2 locomotives between 1979 and 1989.)
Northeast Illinois Railroad Corporation and Metra
The RTA Amendatory Act of 1983 created the current organization, with three management boards for Chicago area public transit: the CTA for city rapid transit and buses, Pace for suburban buses, and Metra for suburban rail. The Metra service mark, short for Metropolitan Rail, was adopted in 1984. Before then, Metra was briefly known just as the Northeast Illinois Railroad Corporation. Many Metra locomotives remained in the RTA paint scheme until the early to mid-1990s.
Metra acquired the operations of the Heritage Corridor and Metra Electric Line in 1987, and the Southwest Service in 1993. In 1996 it began operating the North Central Service over the Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation, now part of the Canadian National Railway. Commuter service that had previously been operated on that line by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ended by 1971.
From 1991-1992, Metra purchased 29 F40PH-2M locomotives, and came in possession of the Milwaukee Road's F40C fleet. In the early 1990s, the E and F units were retired (The F units being sent to the Illinois Railway Museum), and in 2005, the F40Cs were replaced by new MPI MP36PH engines.
Metra's other lines are still operated by the freight railroads that own the trackage. The Union Pacific Railroad operates three ex-Chicago and North Western Railway lines – the Union Pacific/North Line, Union Pacific/Northwest Line and Union Pacific/West Line. The other line, the BNSF Railway Line, is operated by BNSF. With over 60,000 daily passengers on 94 revenue trains, the BNSF line is Metra's busiest.
Commuter service in Chicagoland is also provided by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's South Shore Line to South Bend, Indiana, one of only a few remaining interurban streetcar lines in the U.S. From 1971 to 1991, Amtrak's Calumet provided commuter rail service to Valparaiso, and provides intercity service to Chicago, including frequent Hiawatha service to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, used by some commuters to Chicago.
Lines and stations
Until the 1960s, Chicago had six major intercity terminals. Three of them – Central Station, Dearborn Station and Grand Central Station – have closed. Metra still uses the other three – LaSalle Street Station, Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center – as well as the Randolph Street Station, a terminal for commuter lines that operated through Central Station.
Union Station serves all Amtrak intercity trains. It also serves Metra trains on several lines that operated into Union Station from before the 1960s:
- Heritage Corridor (Alton Railroad)
- BNSF Railway Line (Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad)
- Milwaukee District/West Line and Milwaukee District/North Line (Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad)
- The ex-Pennsylvania Railroad Calumet commuter service provided by Amtrak to Valparaiso, Indiana until 1991 also operated into Union Station.
Since the 1960s, other routes have been rerouted into Union Station:
- Southwest Service (Wabash Railway), moved from Dearborn Station in 1976 by the Norfolk and Western Railway
- North Central Service (Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway), began operations 1996, sharing trackage with the Milwaukee District/West Line south of Franklin Park
The Ogilvie Transportation Center, originally the Chicago and North Western Terminal, serves the three lines formerly operated by the Chicago and North Western Railway – the Union Pacific/North Line, Union Pacific/Northwest Line and Union Pacific/West Line.
LaSalle Street Station serves only trains of the Rock Island District, originally operated by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
Millennium Park Station (previously Randolph Street Station) serves the ex-Illinois Central Railroad Metra Electric Line, and the South Shore Line interurban streetcar service to South Bend, Indiana, operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.
Extension projects
Despite the State of Illinois's current budget crisis, Metra is implementing vigorous expansion in the coming years. Some of this expansion has already been realized: the Union Pacific/West line has been extended from Geneva, Illinois through La Fox to Elburn, and the Southwest Service line has been extended from Orland Park to Manhattan.[1] Metra is also in the process of extending the McHenry branch of the Union Pacific/Northwest into Johnsburg[2].
Metra is also planning to create new rail services as well, namely the SouthEast Service line from downtown Chicago to Crete[3], as well as Metra's first entirely intra-suburban commuter line, the Suburban Transit Access Route, or "STAR" Line, which would operate between Joliet and O'Hare Airport, linking together Metra lines in the western suburbs.[4]
Metra accidents
Metra, as all passenger rail, has a reputation for being a safe and reliable mode of transportation. However, there have been several accidents in the past that have caught regional, and sometimes national, attention:
- At around 5:53 p.m. on August 26, 1991, Mary T. Wojtyla, 41, of Chicago, was walking across the tracks at the Fairview Avenue grade crossing in Downers Grove, directly in front of a westbound train which was stopped at the Metra station. As she proceeded to cross the center track, she was hit and killed instantly by a westbound Burlington Northern EMD E9 pulling a "Racetrack" express train, estimated to be traveling at 60 miles per hour. Quoting from the Chicago Tribune, "The accident delayed between 12,000 and 15,000 commuters for more than an hour..." Trains were further delayed when Downers Grove police ordered the engineer to back up the train in order to re-enact the incident. According to an account in the Downers Grove Reporter, "the engineer was so seriously affected by the re-enactment, where he had to pass by the dead body still on the tracks, he was unable to continue and had to be relieved of his duties". A railfan captured Wojtyla being stuck by the train and the video, dubbed "Traingirl", has been shown at many Operation Lifesaver events, and on shock site web sites. A wrongful death lawsuit brought by Wojtyla's estate was dismissed in 1996.
- On the morning of October 25, 1995, a Metra train hit a school bus which was stopped along the tracks at the stoplight at Algonquin Road and Northwest Highway in Fox River Grove. The accident resulted in seven deaths, multiple injuries, and a massive overhaul in safety, especially with respect to school buses and at short crossings. Millions of dollars were spent by several parties in lawsuits and safety improvements.
- On September 17, 2005, a Metra train from Joliet to Chicago derailed about five miles from LaSalle Street Station, killing two people – Allison Walsh, 38 and Jane Cuthbert, 22 – and injuring approximately 80 others. While the investigation is still proceeding at this time the indications are that the train was traveling at excessive speed, one report stating that the train was moving at more than 60 mph over the posted speed limit of 10 mph, and this was a factor in the accident.
- On November 23, 2005, a Metra train from Chicago to Antioch, Illinois collided with multiple cars at the Grand Avenue crossing in Elmwood Park, Illinois. The railroad tracks cross Grand Avenue at a shallow angle, therefore creating a longer-than-normal crossing. Just past the tracks on Grand Avenue (heading east) there is a traffic signal that can trap drivers disregarding the signs around the crossing warning them not to stop on the tracks. No one died at the scene, but 15 people needed to be sent to hospitals throughout Chicago. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board determined that the signals were working properly and have implied in statements to the press that fault for the accident lies with motorists who ignored warning signs and stopped across the railroad tracks.
- On October 25, 2006, a Metra train traveling on the Union Pacific/Northwest Line struck and killed a 15-year old boy in Fox River Grove, Illinois. The accident occurred on the 11th anniversary of a 1995 accident at the same crossing that killed seven Cary-Grove High School students when a Metra train hit a school bus. Police continue to investigate the cause of the accident. [5]
Metra's Fleet
Locomotive fleet
| Numbers | Model | Year Bulit | Assigned/Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100–127 | F40PH | 1976–1977 | All diesel routes |
| 128–184 | F40PH-2 | 1979–1989 | All diesel routes, many of which are assigned to the UP lines |
| 185–214 | F40PHM-2 | 1991–1992 | BNSF, RI, plus a few scattered on Milwaukee North, Milwaukee West, and North Central Service |
| 401–427 | MP36PH-3 | 2003–2004 | BNSF, RI, Milwaukee North, Milwaukee West, and North Central Service |
| 305, 308 | F7 | 1949 | Retired |
| 514–516, 518, 521 | E8 | 1951–1953 | Retired |
| 600–614 | F40C | 1974 | All have been retired and sold off the property, except units 611 and 614, which remain stored serviceable, and are exclusively run on Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North) |
| 1–2 | SW1 | RI | |
| 3 | SW1200 | Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North | |
| 4–8 | SW1500 | RI, Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North, ME |
Coach fleet
| Numbers | Type | Heritage | Year Bulit | Builder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 740–820 | Coach | Burlington | 1950–1973 | Budd |
| 7100–7121 | Coach | Burlington | 1977–1978 | Budd |
| 6001–6192 | Coach | Metra | 2002–2005 | Nippon-Sharyo |
| 7200–7382 | Coach | Milwaukee | 1961–1980 | Budd |
| 7400–7497 | Coach | Metra | 1996–1998 | Amerail |
| 8200–8283 | Coach/Cab | Milwaukee | 1961–1974 | Budd |
| 8200–8239 | Coach/Cab | RTA | 1978–1980 | Budd |
| 8400–8413 | Coach/Cab | Metra | 1994–1995 | M-K |
| 8414–8478 | Coach/Cab | Metra | 1995–1998 | Amerail |
| 8501–8608 | Coach/Cab | Metra | 2002–2005 | Nippon-Sharyo |
| 553, 555 | Club Car | C&NW | 1949 | ACF |
Retired Coach fleet
| Numbers | Type | Heritage | Year Bulit | Builder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7600-7613 | Coach | C&NW | 1955 | St. Louis |
| 7650-7866 | Coach | C&NW | 1955-1970 | Pullman |
| 7867-7871 | Coach | RI | 1970 | St. Louis |
| 7880 | Coach (Former Parlor) | C&NW | 1958 | Pullman |
| 7881-7885 | Coach | RI | 1970 | Pullman |
| 7900-7901 | Club Car (s) | C&NW | 1955 | St. Louis |
| 8700-8763 | Cab Cars | C&NW | 1960-1968 | Pullman |
Metra electric fleet
| Numbers | Type | Heritage | Year Bulit | Builder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1201–1226 | MU Coach | Metra | 2005 | Nippon-Sharyo |
| 1501–1630 | MU Coach | IC | 1971–1972 | St. Louis |
| 1631–1666 | MU Coach | IC | 1978–1979 | Bombardier |
Awards and recognition
Metra has been honored with several E.H. Harriman Awards for employee safety, most recently with a Bronze award in class B (line-haul railroads with between 4 and 15 million employee hours per year) for 2005. Previous Harriman Awards conferred to Metra include Gold awards for 2003 and 2004 and a Silver award for 2002.[1]
In popular culture
- In the 1990 film Home Alone, Kevin runs across a bridge as a Metra train pulls under it.
- In the film She's Having a Baby, the main character takes the Metra to and from work each day.
- In the film U.S. Marshals, although it's set in New York City, the train that cuts Deputy Gerard off shortly after the graveyard scene is a Metra. This is probably due to the fact that many scenes set in New York were actually filmed in Chicago.
- In end of the film Weird Science, the train that Gary speeds in front of to lose the police belongs to the Regional Transportation Authority, before it became Metra.
- Many shots take place aboard a Metra train in the 2005 film Derailed.
- In the film Cheaper by the Dozen, the character "FedEx" boards a Metra train in an attempt to run away from home.
- In the film Stir of Echoes, the main character played by Kevin Bacon works along a Metra line.
See also
External links
References
- "Leaders Agree to Push for Metra". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Online, 22 December 2004. Retrieved 20 January.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Village board seeks Metra extension". McHenry Online. Retrieved 20 January.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Metra: Driven by its history, A modern Chicago railroad carries its past with it". Trains Magazine, July 2003, by J. David Ingles. Retrieved 24 September.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "The CTA's "Doomsday Budget"-and what it means to Metra riders" (PDF). On the Bi-Level, May 2005 Special Edition. Retrieved 8 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - J. David Ingles, Metra: "Best Commuter Train", Trains July 1993
- "Train kills woman in Downers Grove", Chicago Tribune, August 27, 1991, CHICAGOLAND, p. 6
- "Pedestrian killed by speeding Metra train", Downers Grove Reporter, August 28, 1991, front page.
- ^ Association of American Railroads (reprinted by Norfolk Southern Railroad) (2006-05-16). "Railroads Set Another Employee Safety Record in 2005". Retrieved 2006-05-24.
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