Midday trains on the UP Northwest Line may be delayed by up to 30 minutes starting Monday, June 12, through Friday, June 16, due to a Union Pacific Railroad tie replacement project between Barrington and Crystal Lake.
Union Pacific, which owns and maintains the three UP lines in the Metra system, is replacing approximately 116,000 ties on the line between Chicago and Harvard. Tie replacement is essential and must be done at regular intervals to maintain track speeds and service levels. UP will also be performing grade crossing renewal at Main Street in Barrington. Doing this at the same time as the tie project will help to reduce the overall impact on service.
The tie work on the section between Barrington and Crystal Lake is expected to have a greater impact than work on other areas of the line because that stretch has few locations where trains can switch between tracks and an older signal system. Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on those days, it may take trains up to 30 minutes longer to travel through the work zone.
Additional delays are anticipated as the work progresses beyond next week. Check metra.com/construction-notices for details.