CHICAGO — Metra is seeking customers’ opinions on features of new railcars it expects to order soon.
Metra issued a request for proposals earlier this year for an order of at least 200 new railcars, with an option for 300 more [see “Proposed Metra budget boosts spending for locomotives, cars, infrastructure,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 9, 2019 ], and the proposals could include an alternative to the bilevel gallery cars that have been used by Chicago commuters for nearly 70 years.
The commuter railroad says it is looking for cars that would “increase capacity and optimize passenger amenities,” and has created a survey toward the latter goal, available via Metra’s website. It raises the possibilities of features ranging from tray tables to wi-fi.
“Metra can’t guarantee that it will be able to incorporate everything into the new cars,” the agency says in a press release, “but it can promise to do all it can to get the most amenities possible.”
