It’s going to be a busy weekend on Metra’s BNSF Line to Aurora with a nighttime tie replacement project and with some trains making extra stops at the Western Avenue Station to accommodate music fans attending Riot Fest in Douglass Park.
Starting Friday night, Sept. 17 through Sunday night, Sept. 19, BNSF forces will be replacing 6,200 railroad ties between the Hinsdale and LaVergne stations. On Friday night, inbound trains departing Aurora after 7 p.m. and outbound trains departing Chicago Union Station (CUS) after 7:30 p.m. could see delays of up to 20 minutes due to the construction. On Saturday and Sunday, early morning and late evening trains may also experience delays of up to 20 minutes.
Even with the planned construction work, Metra and the BNSF will also be making additional stops at the Western Avenue Station on Saturday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 19 to accommodate music fans attending Riot Fest at Douglass Park. The station is a short walk from the festival site. However, concertgoers should be advised that the last trains of the evening will be delayed by the construction project.
The full BNSF schedule showing trains affected by the tie project construction and highlighting trains that will be making the extra stops for Riot Fest can be found here.
Due to limited parking near the venue, Riot Fest organizers are urging fans to take public transportation. To access the venue from the BNSF Western Avenue Station, concertgoers should walk west on 16th Street to California and north to Ogden, following Ogden west to the festival’s main entrance at Sacramento Drive.
If you’re traveling on Saturday and/or Sunday, don’t forget about Metra’s $7 Saturday or Sunday Day Passes or the $10 Weekend Pass, which provides unlimited rides on both days. The Day Passes can be purchased onboard or via the Ventra App, which can be downloaded in the App Store and Google Play.