Metra and Union Pacific Railroad will be temporarily changing the times of scheduled evening inbound departures to Chicago on the UP North Line as UP continues a major tie replacement project. The new evening schedule goes into effect on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Trains 366 through 374 will now depart 30 minutes later than the current schedule to minimize delays while trains pass through the work zone. The new schedule can be found here with affected trains highlighted in blue. The schedule changes will minimize conflicts between inbound and outbound trains due to the need to operate on a single track while workers occupy the adjacent track. However, in addition to the new departure times, customers are advised that these trains may incur additional delays as they travel through the work zone.
In late September, UP embarked on a major project to replace 68,000 ties along a 45-mile stretch of the UP North Line between Kenosha and the line’s Ravenswood Station in Chicago. To lessen impacts on the current train schedule as well as the communities along the line, work is occurring between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. seven days a week through the end of November. Union Pacific believes that this schedule will allow the work to progress more quickly, lessening the impact to communities along the line.
Communities along the tracks will experience increased noise levels, including train horns, during work periods. Federal law requires trains to sound their horns when entering a track work zone even if the work takes place in a community that is regulated as a quiet zone.
Track changes may occur when the track normally used is occupied by track workers, and customers are advised to listen for platform announcements throughout the project to verify the boarding platform well in advance of a train’s arrival at their station.