Metra rail-car rehabilitation project completes 302 cars

The Metra rail-car rehabilitation project has been completed in the Chicago region, after 302 commuter cars were rebuilt through the agency’s in-house program.

“Metra is extremely proud of its rehab programs and the dedicated workers who are its heart and soul,” said Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski in a press release. “We are not only saving regional taxpayers and our riders money, but we are turning out quality rehabs that ensure our riders will travel in safety and comfort for many years to come.”

Work completed under Metra rail-car rehabilitation project

A typical car takes about four weeks to rehabilitate, at an estimated cost of roughly $850,000 per vehicle. The work is carried out at Metra’s shops on the South Side of Chicago, where around 150 employees are involved in the in-house rail-car program⁠.

During the process, worn cars are stripped down and rebuilt to a condition Metra describes as like new. The scope includes overhauled air-conditioning systems, in-car camera systems and hardware for the federally required Positive Train Control safety system⁠. Metra officials said the cars also receive new toilets, wheelchair lifts, electric outlets and new LED signage.

Don’t miss…Berlin S-Bahn procurement clears path for fleet award

Nippon Sharyo cars set for extended service

The wider rail-car rehabilitation program began in 2010 with a seven-year effort covering 176 cars. The newly completed batch of 302 cars represents the program’s second major project. These cars were originally supplied to Metra by Nippon Sharyo between 2002 and 2008.

Following the rehabilitation, Metra expects the cars to remain in service for another 12 to 15 years, according to agency officials.

Metra’s in-house approach is also part of the project’s financial context: the agency says the program saved taxpayers more than $100 million compared with outsourcing. The PTC hardware element relates to a federally required safety system that the Federal Railroad Administration describes as designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over-speed derailments, incursions into work zones and movements through switches left in the wrong position.

The rail-car work forms part of Metra’s broader rehabilitation activity. The agency also has a locomotive rehab program, a newer effort focused on self-propelled electric cars used on the Metra Electric Line, and cooperative work involving minor repairs to locomotives owned by other railroads.