CHICAGO — Metra will make minor schedule adjustments on five of its routes as of Sept. 3, with the changes including the continuation of a pilot program for more weekend service on two lines and adjustments necessary for the implementation of positive train control on one route.
The changes affect the BNSF, Heritage Corridor, Rock Island, Union Pacific Northwest, and Union Pacific West lines.
On the BNSF, six weekday evening outbound trains will see minor adjustments ranging from new termination points (Aurora rather than Fairview Avenue for train No. 1255, which departs Chicago at 4:50 p.m., and Hinsdale rather than Highlands for train No. 1375, which departs Chicago at 4:53 p.m.) to slight adjustments in running times. An additional weekend round trip introduced this summer will also continue.
On the Heritage Corridor, intermediate station times will be adjusted on all three morning trains, although departure from Joliet and arrival in Chicago will be unchanged.
On the Rock Island, stops will be added on two inbound weekday trains; one outbound train serving the Beverly Branch will have some stops converted to flag stops; four trains will have their running times adjusted, and the weekend service pilot program, which added six inbound and six outbound trains, will end. One new outbound train will be added on Saturdays.
On the UP Northwest, the pilot program which added five Saturday round trips and three Sunday round trips will continue. Also, weekend trains will be renumbered for the sake of consistency.
And on the UP West, departure times will be adjusted on six inbound trains and five outbound trains, all in off-peak periods, to reflect the operational issues resulting from PTC.
More information is available at the Metra website.
Operational issues? That’s news to me and I run the line. And why would the off peak trains be the only ones having “operational issues” if that were the case?