(The following story by Karen Long appeared on the Kane County Chronicle website on July 12.)
GENEVA, Ill. — As a commuter from Geneva to Chicago, Metra rider Marla Dunning wanted to know about possible changes to the Union Pacific West line.
The Geneva resident agreed with recommendations to upgrade signals, add a third track between Elmhurst and River Forest, and improve the section where the Union Pacific West line crosses three other lines.
“I think the full option would be more helpful for the long term,” she said, adding that she wanted trains that were reliably on schedule.
Metra officials presented information Wednesday at Geneva City Hall to educate residents about possible changes and gather feedback. A similar meeting was held Tuesday in Elmhurst. The meetings are part of the process to obtain federal funding.
The changes on the Union Pacific West line – which runs from Elburn to Chicago’s Ogilvie Transportation Station – are necessary to meet increased ridership, relieve road traffic, and alleviate congestion on parallel Metra lines such as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, said consultant Gibran Hadj-Chikh with Parsons Corp.
The project, estimated to cost $441 million in 2006 dollars, would add crossovers between Elmhurst and West Chicago, increase parking at some stations, and relocate the section of tracks where four lines meet and 60 percent of Metra’s riders go through, Hadj-Chikh said.
The result would be shorter commutes and more room for riders, he said.
More trains on other lines has led some commuters to drive to those stations for service. The BNSF line, from Aurora to Chicago’s Union Station, has 94 inbound and outbound trains on weekdays compared with Union Pacific West’s 59 inbound and outbound trains on weekdays, according to Metra’s online schedules.
Tim Lenzen, 62, of Batavia said a neighbor drove south to the BNSF line because it had more trains than the Union Pacific West line.
With the improvements, the Union Pacific West line would have 17 inbound trains during weekday peak morning hours and seven outbound trains during those times, Metra spokesman Patrick Waldron said.
Lenzen, a former Union Pacific operating officer, attended the meeting to hear more about the project. He said Metra officials should work on reducing how long riders are on the trains.
“The total time on the train, that’s what should be the focus,” he said.
Hadj-Chikh said Metra wants to submit its plans to the Federal Transit Administration in August 2007 and start preliminary engineering in 2008.