(The following report by Bob Roberts appeared on the WBBM website on September 19.)
CHICAGO — The Union Pacific R.R. has decided not to take disciplinary action in the wake of recent problems on one of the commuter rail lines it operates for Metra.
WBBM’s Bob Roberts has the story.
But Metra says it has assurances that the problems that have plagued the Union Pacific North Line over the past month won’t happen again.
On Labor Day, Sept. 3, a scheduled Ravinia Special failed to operate, leaving hundreds of riders on a platform for more than two hours, until the next regularly-scheduled train arrived. And the crews of at least two trains, one at the Clybourn station and one at the Kenilworth station, dumped riders en masse onto platforms in the teeth of the severe storms Aug. 23.
In some cases, a Metra spokesperson said, riders Aug. 23 were put off trains twice before reaching their destinations.
Trains were halted Aug. 23 on the line, operated for Metra under contract by Union Pacific, because of the numerous weather warnings in the area, signal problems, and downed trees, poles and power lines that fouled the tracks, railroad spokesman Mark Davis said.
Federal law limits the number of hours that members of train crews can be on active duty, and had there been no delays, the crews probably could have completed their runs without incident, Davis said.
But another Metra spokesperson, Judy Pardonnet, said the law contains an exemption for emergency conditions, and said it is the belief of Metra officials that the crews should have continued to carry passengers, and filed the needed reports with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), which enforces the law and oversees exceptions.
Pardonnet said no one ordered the Union Pacific crews to force riders from the trains.
“Management people were not involved with the decision. Metra was not involved with the decision. It’s just something unfortunate, decisions that were made by the crews,” she said.
The train that dumped off riders in Kenilworth proceeded empty to Waukegan.
Davis said the crews involved Aug. 23 were “debriefed” by supervisors but that no disciplinary action was taken.
Metra Chair Carole Doris and collar county director Jack Shaffer both offered sharp criticism of the actions by Union Pacific crews and scheduling personnel at the agency’s monthly board meeting Friday.
Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano told the agency’s board that Metra’s Chief operating officer, Jack Tupper, and Deputy Executive Director Rick Tidwell had conducted a series of meetings with Union Pacific’s Chicago commuter service manager.
Pagano indicated that the railroad had been given assurances that it would not happen again.
Provisions of the crews’ union contracts do not allow Metra any say in discipline decisions. Those are left to Union Pacific, both Pardonnet and Davis said.
Metra officials and board members also were critical of the failure by Union Pacific to operate the scheduled Ravinia Special following the concert venue’s annual Labor Day Extravaganza.
The error forced several hundred concertgoers to wait approximately two hours and 15 minutes for the last scheduled North Line train of the night, which itself ran nearly 35 minutes late.
Pardonnet insisted that the fault lay with Union Pacific and Ravinia, saying scheduling is done by the railroad and Ravinia Festival personnel jointly.
Trains traditionally are waiting for concertgoers following Ravinia concerts, a practice that dates back decades.
Union Pacific has apologized for the problems.