The Metra Board of Directors approved a trio of contracts May 24 that will see inward-facing cameras installed on its system, renovations made to its Hazel Crest Station and work performed on several bridges.
Metra says it was taking steps to install inward-facing cameras ahead of pending federal rules. The $11 million contract, awarded to Railhead Corp., will replace the camera system on Metra's trains with an upgraded system that includes inward-facing cameras in the locomotives, cabcars and Highliner cars to record the actions of engineers.
Congress in 2015 ordered the Department of Transportation to draft rules within two years to require passenger railroads to install inward-facing and outward-facing cameras in all locomotives and other operating compartments. Metra says those rules are expected from the Federal Railroad Administration by the end of 2017.
"At Metra, safety is our highest priority, and we are pleased to be moving forward with this safety feature before the requirement takes effect," said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. "These cameras will give us another tool to ensure we are operating as safely as possible."
Additionally, the board approved three contracts worth $48.2 million to replace or repair several bridges along the Union Pacific North Line on the North Side of Chicago and build the new inbound half of the Ravenswood Station.
“These projects represent a major investment in the infrastructure along the UP North Line, which is essential to maintaining safe, reliable service,” said Orseno. “Together, these improvements will have a lasting impact that our customers will benefit from for many years to come.”
The board approved a $17.2 million contract with Judlau Contracting Inc. of Lisle to replace the bridges that carry the inbound UP North Line tracks over 11 streets from Grace to Balmoral. The bridges are more than 100 years old and can no longer be economically repaired and maintained. Construction of bridges for the outbound tracks over the same 11 streets was completed in 2015. The new bridges will last for more than 100 years.
Kenny Construction Company of Northbrook was awarded a $15.5 million contract to rehabilitate the bridges that carry the UP North Line over Webster Avenue and the North Branch of the Chicago River just north of Webster (known as the Deering Bridge).
IHC Construction Companies of Elgin was awarded a $15.5 million contract to build the new inbound half of the Ravenswood Station, the busiest station on the line outside of downtown. The work will mirror that of the outbound half of the new station, which was completed in 2015.
The station will have longer, covered platforms, warming shelters, new lighting, ramps, stairs, new landscaping and a vendor space. Once the work is complete, the station will be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Customers will continue to use the temporary inbound platform until the new station and bridge project are complete.
Work on all three projects is expected to begin in July. The work on the Deering and Roscoe bridges will take about a year, while the work on the other bridges and Ravenswood Station will take about 30 months. Construction could result in minor delays to off-peak trains.
The commuter agency’s board also approved a $3 million contract to the Bowa Group Inc. of Chicago to renovate the Hazel Crest Station on the Metra Electric Line. The work includes construction of a new street-level depot complete with vendor space and restrooms, as well as the replacement of the station's stairways. The project will also include the addition of an elevator on the north end of the station, which will make the station fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The bridge contracts and Hazel Crest Station work are part of Metra's 2017 construction program, which includes approximately $216 million in infrastructure improvements to 29 stations, 21 bridges and 29 road crossings and the replacement of 57,000 railroad ties to ensure safe and reliable service and maintain a state of good repair systemwide.
Metra also will receive at $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) on its Milwaukee North and West lines. U.S. Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.-3) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-5) and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced the $20.2 million grant.
“This much-needed grant for Metra is great news,” said Rep. Lipinski. “Representing a district with a large number of rail lines, I have always made rail safety a top priority on the Railroad Subcommittee. In 2008, I included language in a bill to create the Rail Safety Technology Grant program to help railroads install life-saving PTC more quickly. Unfortunately, Congress never fully-funded this program and commuter railroads like Metra were not able to implement PTC. Last Congress, I joined with Rep. Quigley on a bill to reauthorize the grant program so that Metra could get federal help to install this critical safety technology.”
Metra is responsible for installing PTC on all trains and along the five lines it operates: Metra Electric, Milwaukee North, Milwaukee West, Rock Island and SouthWest Service. Metra estimates the federally mandated technology will cost between $350 million to $400 million to implement. In January 2016, Metra filed an alternative schedule for implementing PTC by 2020, although the commuter agency had previously committed to implementation in 2019.
“Implementation of Positive Train Control is a vital step in ensuring our rail systems are as safe and reliable as possible,” said Rep. Quigley. “Metra plays such an important role in the Chicagoland region, and this much-needed funding will help guarantee that one of the busiest commuter rail systems in the nation continues to provide for residents. It will also help drive additional economic activity and further solidify Chicago's role as a leader in innovative transportation.”
“Metra has more track than any commuter rail system in the country and 150,000 daily passengers," said Sen. Durbin. "Positive Train Control is critical to the safety of these passengers. This funding will greatly help Metra meet its goal and move forward with full PTC operability.”