(The following story by Mary Wisniewski appeared on the Chicago Sun-Times website on August 25, 2010.)
CHICAGO — While delays are down on the Union Pacific North Line, some trains in the early morning and evening rush hour continue to have standing-room only conditions, and Metra is considering schedule fixes and adding cars to some runs.
“We are looking to see if we can make adjustments,” said Michael Gillis, Metra spokesman.
“I take the 5:58 p.m. out of Ogilvie to Central St. and it is like a sardine can,” wrote Lonny Levin, 41. in an e-mail Wednesday. “You have to get there at least ten minutes early to get a seat.”
Monday was the first day of a new schedule for the North Line from Kenosha to Ogilvie Transportation Center. The schedule was designed to accommodate an eight-year, $185 million project to rebuild 22 bridges and replace the Ravenswood station.
The schedule was changed to prepare for the route being reduced from two tracks to one track during construction. Metra officials decided it would be most efficient to send trains through in groups in one direction, rather than have them toggling back and forth with one train going in one direction, then the next train coming back in the opposite direction.
This adjustment means there are gaps in the schedule that didn’t exist before, and some stations have fewer stops, while some have more. For example, six trains used to depart from Ogilvie to the Davis stop in Evanston between 5 and 6 p.m. That’s been cut to two trains between 5 and 6, so the 6:03 train to Davis is now overcrowded, according to a passenger.
The evening problems were exacerbated Tuesday by a Ravinia concert, Gillis said.
Passengers also report that trains leaving for downtown in the earlier part of the morning rush are crowded, while later morning trains had fewer or no problems.
Brian Stansfield, 41, said that the 7:22 a.m. train out of Central in Evanston has been leaving with “standing-room only” crowds. He said that some conductors seem new to the line, as they are announcing the wrong stops and which cars won’t open at a station. Levin, however, said the 9:01 a.m. train from Central “is not a problem.”
Ian Laing, 38, who gets off at the Ravenswood stop and has been riding a packed 5:21 p.m. train, noted that the new schedule is having problems while it’s still summer and some commuter are on vacation. So it could get worse.