Metra joined with elected officials today to celebrate the completion of a $32.5 million project to renovate and expand its 47th/49th Street facilities, the mechanical shops that house the agency’s railcar and locomotive rehab programs.
Work on the new facility began in May 2018. The expanded and renovated facility includes a new 38,000-square-foot building at the 49th Street Coach Shop. The new building includes modern classroom space as well as workshop and welding training areas for Metra’s Mechanical Department apprentice programs. The facility’s loading dock, storage area and railcar wheel truck rebuild area were also upgraded. The improvements will enable Metra to increase the output of its railcar rehabilitation program by an estimated 40 percent from 35 to 60 railcars per year.
The 47th Street Diesel Shop, which maintains locomotives used on the Rock Island Line and is the facility where Metra’s MP36 locomotive rehabilitation program is housed, also received upgrades. The loading dock area was reconfigured to add an enclosed crane and the materials storage area was replaced with a new 17,500-square-foot facility. The project also included improvements to the rail yard’s parking, drainage and utilities.
“Modernizing these facilities will allow us to increase the output of both our in-house railcar and locomotive rehab programs and make significant strides in achieving a state of good repair,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “Equally important, this facility will allow us to train and maintain a highly skilled workforce and keep good-paying jobs in Chicagoland.”
“As Chairman of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, I have long been a leader in securing federal funding to strengthen our transportation infrastructure in the Chicago region, especially for local transit agencies like Metra,” said Congressman Daniel W. Lipinski. “It's important that we make investments in our infrastructure that create good-paying, middle-class jobs, and enhance the commuter experience for local residents. The opening of the Rock Island facility expansion marks an exciting milestone. Metra’s commitment to investing in training and repair facilities helps keep our transportation workforce competitive while modernizing the railcars and locomotives that keep our Chicagoland transportation network strong.”
“This new facility on Chicago’s South Side will create opportunities for good middle-class jobs and help Metra achieve its goals of a diverse and skilled workforce,” said Metra Board Chairman Norman Carlson. “Metra has demonstrated that it is a good steward of public funding, saving $125 million by bringing its rehabilitation programs in-house. Now, we have a facility that will allow us to stretch our capital dollars even farther and keep the benefits of these investments in our community all while training our people from entry-level onward and creating Metra’s future leaders.”
“In a time when unemployment is at an all-time high, the completion of the Rock Island renovation is more than ideal,” said State Sen. Mattie Hunter. “I am very excited for all the new training opportunities this new space will provide. More so, the renovations will allow for riders to have a smoother commute. It was an upgrade long overdue.”
“Metra deserves kudos for completing this regionally important facility,” said Kirk Dillard, Board Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). “Metra will achieve significant savings by rehabbing its own cars, in addition to employing Chicagoans. Riders in all six counties served by Metra will benefit from this increased capacity for rehabbing railcars and locomotives, which are at the very core of Metra’s mission.”
The project marks the first significant upgrade of the 47th/49th Street facility since it was built by the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, one of Metra’s predecessors, in 1947. Today, in addition to the railcar and locomotive rehab programs, the facility serves as the main mechanical yard for Metra’s Rock Island Line.
The construction work was performed by Chicago-based F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates, L.L.C. As part of the contract award, the contractor committed to awarding 25 percent of the subcontracting work to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms. The contract was funded 100 percent with federal funds allocated to Metra for capital projects.