ON the BI-LEVEL Burlington Trains Have Served on the Bi-Level Western Suburbs for 148 Years Published by Metra’S Media Relations Department

ON THE

BI-LEVEL Commuter Newsletter, August 2012 CLIFF NOTES Survey will help Metra improve recent RTA survey that A asked riders in the Chi- cago area about the region’s public transportation system is giving Metra some extremely valuable information about Carman Bryant Howse replaces a window on an Amerail passenger car at Metra’s 49th St. Shop, Alex Clifford what we where the Amerail rehab program is based. Metra CEO should be doing better – and I can assure you Car rehab program benefits we will put the results to good use. The survey asked riders riders, workers and taxpayers to rank attributes of Metra service in order of impor- We could dazzle you with keeping 60 jobs in Chicago. It’s a tance and then say how satis- all the passenger improvements win-win situation for all involved. fied they were with Metra’s we’ve added to our newly re- The program aims to reha- performance in each area. habbed railcars. bilitate 176 cars that were built For instance, riders listed We could point out that the by Amerail (originally Morrison “Getting to destination on passenger cars are being re- Knudson) between 1995 and time” as the most important furbished in-house, by Metra 1998. attribute of Metra service, workers with years of experience, About 45 cars have been Charge iPhone here. and 84 percent said they dedication and know-how. completed so far and we’ll have were satisfied or very satis- We could tell you how we’ve efit riders will most appreciate is 60 done by the end of the year. fied with our performance. streamlined our processes and the smallest: an electrical outlet The entire Amerail fleet, which “Availability of seats” procedures and created an ultra- – several of them, actually – near includes 79 cab cars and 97 trailer was next in importance, and efficient operation that can strip passenger seats that can be used cars, should be done by the end 85 percent were satisfied and fully rebuild a car in just 36 to power all your gizmos. of 2016. The work will extend the or very satisfied. Other at- days. If we sound excited by our life of the cars by 12 to 15 years; tributes, in order of impor- We could boast about a rehab Amerail passenger car rehabili- with more rehabs down the road, tance, were: program that is saving riders tation program, it’s because we we should be able to get 50 years • Safe train operation and area taxpayers a great deal are. We’re getting like-new cars of service or more out of these (99 percent satisfied or very of money while pumping dollars for a fraction of the cost of new cars. satisfied) back into the local economy. ones, giving our riders some nice The work is costing about (See Survey on Page 4) But we think maybe the ben- improvements and amenities and (See Rehab on Page 3)

WWW.METRARAIL.COM 2 ON THE BI-LEVEL Burlington trains have served On the Bi-Level western suburbs for 148 years Published by Metra’s Media Relations Department. Send Here’s the latest installment to Chicago from small agricul- rail lines. The “Suburbanaire letters, questions or feedback to of our history of Metra lines. tural towns such as Naperville, Service” cars enabled Burlington On the Bi-Level, Metra, 547 W. Jackson, Chicago IL, 60661- Much of this BNSF history was Downers Grove, Hinsdale and La to expand capacity without the 5717. Or e-mail onthebilevel@ taken from a pamphlet issued by Grange. However, the towns soon need for more trains or longer metrarr.com. Burlington in 1964 to mark the began to take on a more residen- trains. Five of the cars from the We can’t guarantee all letters Chicago-to-Aurora route’s 100th tial character, with businessman 1950s, manufactured by Budd, are will be printed or answered. Please keep letters to less than anniversary. from Chicago moving in. By the still in use. 200 words and include your first It would not be an exag- end of the decade, the first trains 1952: The railroad completed name, hometown and what line geration to say that the western catering to commuters to and the replacement of steam locomo- you ride. (Names are not re- suburbs served by the BNSF line from Chicago started operat- tives with diesel engines on the quired but strongly encouraged.) We reserve the right to edit letter grew up with the railroad and ing, and the towns along the line suburban line. At this time it also for length and grammar. that the railroad grew up with began to grow into the suburbs we moved its Downers Grove termi- Board of Directors the suburbs. The two have been know today. nal operation to Aurora, which intricately linked since the very The 1871 Chicago Fire further resulted in more train service for Larry A. Huggins beginning, nearly 150 years ago. highlighted the advantages of liv- the towns west of Downers Grove. Vice Chairman The route had its origins in ing in the suburbs. (The Burling- 1965: Burlington started to use Chicago 1850 with a 12-mile railroad that ton’s offices at 2 S. Water were a push-pull operation into and out Jack Schaffer connected Aurora to the recently destroyed; but company records of Union Station. Treasurer completed Galena & Chicago survived in a fireproof safe.) In 1970: The Burlington North- McHenry County Union, now the UP West Line, the years following the fire, real ern was formed by the merger Arlene J. Mulder in what is now West Chicago. estate developers and the railroad of the Chicago, Burlington & Secretary The Aurora Branch Line allowed promoted suburban life over liv- Quincy, Great Northern, Northern Suburban Cook County trains from Aurora to head north ing in the city. Pacific and Spokane Portland & to the G&CU and then east into In 1881, Burlington trains Seattle. Also that year, the rail- Paul C. Darley Director Chicago. By 1855, the branch began to use the original Union road adopted a new schedule with DuPage County line became part of the Chicago Station at Canal and Adams. more express trains to and from Burlington & Quincy. Before this time, Burlington used far western suburbs. Don A. De Graff That route, however, proved the Illinois Central station at Ran- 1972: The West Suburban Director Suburban Cook County to be short-lived. Traffic on the dolph and Michigan, reaching the Mass Transit District was formed G&CU became so heavy that IC’s tracks via the St. Charles Air by communities along the line James C. LaBelle it moved to terminate its track- Line. In 1925, its trains started to to help BN secure funding for Director age rights agreement with the use the current Union Station. capital improvements. Lake County Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Other notable events in the 1973: Area voters approved Mike McCoy to make way for more of its own BNSF Line’s history include: the creation of the Regional Director trains. After trying to buy one of 1934: Burlington debuted its Transportation Authority to assist Kane County the two G&CU tracks, the Burl- stainless steel, diesel-powered all public transportation. Brad S. O’Halloran ington decided instead to build its Zephyr “streamliner” locomo- 1983: The RTA Act was Director own direct route to Chicago. tive in stylish fashion – it cov- amended; Metra and Pace were Suburban Cook County Work began during the Civil ered 1,015 miles from Denver to created. War in October 1862. There were Chicago’s Century of Progress 1996: BN merged with the Jack E. Partelow Director many hurdles, including the Exposition in 13 hours, 5 min- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Will County high cost of labor due to the war, utes, half the time of a conven- Railway to form BNSF Railway. a harsh winter that year and a tional train. The Zephyrs never Today, BNSF Railway still Stanley C. Rakestraw “seemingly bottomless bog” pulled suburban trains, but diesel owns the BNSF line, and operates Director Cook County between Hinsdale and Western engines were here to stay – and the commuter rail service with Springs that had to be filled in. the lightweight stainless steel was its own crews under a purchase- William A. Widmer III The work was done by May 1864, soon adopted for passenger cars. of-service agreement with Metra. Director at a cost of about $1 million. 1950: Burlington became the It is by far the busiest line on the Suburban Cook County Although passenger trains first Chicago area railroad to use system, providing 16.6 million of started operating on the line im- stainless steel, bi-level, air-con- Metra’s 82.7 million passenger Chief Executive Officer mediately, the first trains primar- ditioned gallery cars, setting the trips in 2011. (The UP-NW was Alex Clifford ily carried milk, hay and wheat standard for Chicago commuter second, with 11.1 million trips.)

WWW.METRARAIL.COM AUGUST 2012 3 Rehab program has many benefits (Continued from Page 1) battery box are replaced. A new $650,000 per car, or $115 million retention toilet tank is installed for the entire project. Contrast and new heating and lighting is that with the going rate for a new put in. car, which is $2.5 million to $3 At the third station, all the in- million depending on the type terior work is done. That includes of car and the number ordered. installing new passenger seats, That’s a savings of about 75 rebuilt AC units, new toilets percent or more. and bathroom walls, new LED What will passengers notice signs, new windshields and new when they board a new car? windshield wipers. Also at this The first thing is probably the station, rebuilt trucks – what we new-car smell, actually not that in the railroad industry call the different from the smell of a new wheel assemblies – are installed. automobile. When the doors The final station involves close, they may notice that the putting the finishing touches on doors now have sensitive edges, the car and carrying out various like elevators doors, so they will tests. Painting is done and decals retract if they come in contact are installed. The batteries, bat- with a person or object in the tery chargers, event recorders, way. cab signals, LED signs, doors They’ll also see new LED and other elements are tested. If signs that will assist all passen- the car passes the tests it is sent gers, but especially passengers out into service. The cars can be with hearing disabilities, with found on most deisel Metra lines. location announcements. They Each car spends nine days will walk on new composite at each station and gets through floors, sit on brand-new seats that all four stations in 36 days. The meet the latest safety regulations Carman Frank Osysko replaces a window in a door from one streamlined, efficient process and feel the cool air from rebuilt of the Amerail cars being rehabbed by Metra workers at the means we can rehab 27 cars a AC units. If they must use the 49th St. Shop along the Rock Island Line. year. bathroom, they’ll be flushing With each car, the process brand-new toilets, and if they’re dedicated workforce. Over the three stations with the rest at the gets better and better. Workers in a wheelchair, they’ll get a ride past two years the efficiency of last station. on the project say the experi- on a new lift. the rehab program has improved At the first station, the car is ence they gain with each car And then there are the electri- tremendously. In addition to hav- stripped: seats, bathrooms, heater helps them improve their ef- cal outlets. There are 19 of them, ing an experienced workforce, guards and doors are removed. ficiency and effectiveness on the spaced throughout the seating Metra restructured the operation The old plymetal floor is ripped next. They’ve developed a nice area on the lower level of the car by implementing multi-station up, and the new composite floor camaraderie, something that is to power all those phones, com- manufacturing processes learned is installed. That’s the “fun part,” apparent in even a brief visit to puters, iPods, iPads and other during the procurement of 300 says Carman Bryant Howse, who the shop. gadgets that none of us can live new Nippon Sharyo gallery means it’s a lot of hard work. And the workers are defi- without any more. cars and 26 new Nippon Sharyo Windows are replaced. The metal nitely keeping riders in mind All the work is done at Me- Highliner cars for the Metra diaphragm – the accordion-like as the cars are rehabbed. “We tra’s shop at 49th St. along the Electric Line. Metra unions have structure that connects two take pride in our work. We try to Rock Island line. The cavernous been very receptive and coopera- cars – is replaced with a rubber make sure everything is as safe building, originally built by the tive in the implementation of the one. Steps are sandblasted and as it can be,” said Lisa Nelson, a Rock Island Railroad, is easily new processes. replaced if necessary. Electrical carman for 14 years. “We know large enough to allow for four The efficient operation is set boxes are rebuilt and the event that if the passengers aren’t cars to be worked on at the same up as an assembly line, with four recorder, sort of like an air- happy, it trickles down to us.” time, with room to spare. stations where various tasks are plane’s “black box,” is replaced. But so far, the feedback has Metra has been rebuild- performed. Of the 60 carmen, At the second station, the been positive, she said. “We’ve ing passenger coaches at this electricians and sheet metal wheelchair lift is removed and heard that some passengers shop for decades and intrinsi- workers assigned to the project, replaced with an upgraded thought they were riding in cally benefits from a skillful and about 18 work at each of the first model. The battery charger and brand-new cars.”

E-MAIL US AT [email protected] 4 ON THE BI-LEVEL AUGUST 2012 Summer heat presents challenges ♫ Workin’ on the railroad ♫ to keeping Metra system operating (This is the first of what will be a regular feature about This summer’s prolonged However, lowered travel speeds when extreme heat is forecast notable Metra employees or heat wave has been hard on all of result in longer travel times and so that we can quickly address riders.) us in the Chicago region, includ- schedule delays. problems that may arise. In Anyone who’s spent time ing your commuter railroad. Metal rails expand in the addition, any Metra employees in Union Station has probably Extreme temperatures place heat and contract when it’s cold. who spot what they believe to be seen our Joe Sykes, a customer stress on all Metra’s equipment Exposure to the elements can put a track defect are empowered to service super- and increase the need for dili- even the best-maintained track contact the rail line’s dispatch visor at the gence on our part to ensure that out of alignment. Federal Rail- office so that the section of track busy facility. we continue to provide safe and road Administration regulations in question can be immediately Sykes, who efficient service. require the rail to be inspected taken out of service, inspected has worked The safe operation of Metra every three days at minimum and repaired if necessary. for Amtrak service and the safety of our year round. As an added mea- The extremely hot weather and Metra passengers are our primary sure of safety when extreme also stresses our rail fleet and (mostly at concerns. Weather conditions temperatures are forecast, Metra can contribute to mechanical CUS) since 1980, can often be present challenges to railroad increases the frequency of track failures. To minimize disrup- seen with his illuminated “Need operations that must be dealt inspections, going over each tions and ensure safety, Metra’s Help? Just Ask” badge, giving with on a daily basis; and even mile of rail at least once a day Mechanical Department deploys riders directions or information. though the skies are clear, the with major switching points and extra personnel to inspect equip- What most riders don’t know effects of extreme heat can result other vulnerable sections of track ment more frequently throughout is that on his own time Sykes in delays that affect Metra’s on- inspected multiple times a day. the day. raises money to combat neuro- time performance. Signals, crossing gates, cat- Every weekday, Metra trains blastoma, the rare disease that Speed restrictions are one enary wires and other compo- carry more than 300,000 pas- claimed his 7-year-old son Joey safety measure used by rail- nents powered by electricity are sengers. Providing safe pas- in 2004. For several years after roads during extreme heat. The also affected by extreme heat. sage for each and every one of his son’s death, Sykes organized conditions triggering speed Power outages and overheating them is a responsibility we take a fund-raising bowling event, restrictions vary from railroad of equipment can affect service. very seriously. Although Metra and the Joey Sykes basketball to railroad but are generally put And heat waves can produce also prides itself on its on-time tournament is held each Janu- into effect on the Metra sys- severe storms, lightning strikes performance, we will always put ary at St. Raymond school in tem when temperatures exceed high winds and flash flooding, safety first. While we understand Mount Prospect. The money he 95 degrees. These restrictions which all have the potential to that slowing our trains down has raised was donated in Joey’s require that trains operate at slow or halt service. during hot weather may disrupt name to Bear Necessities to call least 10 mph below a posted Metra tries to address the our riders’ schedules, the speed attention to the disease and fund speed limit for a section of track. potential for service disruptions restrictions and other measures research into a cure. The restrictions are intended to by keeping extra track inspec- imposed on our service are You can donate to Bear reduce the stress on the track and tors as well as track and signal intended to preserve safety while Necessities in Joey’s name by prevent issues that would result maintainers on duty through the enabling our trains to operate as going to www.bearnecessities. in a major service disruption. morning and evening rush hours efficiently as possible. org and following the prompts.

• On-board personnel cour- working hard in recent months the ease of transfers and signage tesy (91 percent) to try to operate every train on to service, which tells us other Survey • Number of scheduled non- schedule, but these results tell areas that could be improved. (Continued from Page 1) rush-hour trains (67 percent) us we must work even harder. About 90 percent of riders • Value of service for fare As you can see, there is And while a customer-focused said they were satisfied or very paid (84 percent) plenty of room for improvement organization shouldn’t need to be satisfied with Metra’s overall • Cleanliness of train interior in nearly every area. We have to told how important it is for our performance. I hope that by (83 percent) pay extra attention to those areas employees to be courteous and using this survey constructively, • Number of scheduled rush- where we are falling short, and professional, the survey gives us and making improvements in hour trains (83 percent) we have already begun to do so. some pointed direction that we problem areas, we can also boost • Personal safety on train (98 For instance, our Mechani- must redouble our efforts. the overall percentage of happy percent) cal Department is putting a plan Two-thirds of riders said they customers. • Total travel time for trip (84 together to boost the cleanli- are satisfied or very satisfied with You can follow me on Twitter percent) ness of our trains. We have been the ease of paying for transfers, @MetraCEO