Metra has completed the rehabilitation of 302 commuter railcars as part of its in-house refurbishment programme, which has saved more than 100 million USD compared with outsourcing the work.
The programme is carried out at Metra’s 49th Street maintenance facility in Chicago, where approximately 150 employees strip ageing railcars back to their structural framework before rebuilding them with upgraded systems and passenger facilities.
According to Metra, each refurbishment takes around four weeks to complete and costs approximately 850,000 USD per vehicle, significantly less than purchasing a new railcar or contracting the work externally.
The completed programme focused on 302 Nippon Sharyo railcars delivered between 2002 and 2008. It followed an earlier phase, undertaken between 2010 and 2017, during which 176 Amerail-built railcars, originally manufactured by Morrison Knudson and delivered between 1995 and 1998, were refurbished.
The refurbishment includes the installation of new passenger amenities such as power outlets, LED information displays, upgraded toilets and accessible wheelchair lifts. The vehicles also receive new seating, composite flooring, improved air conditioning systems, upgraded battery chargers for emergency lighting, onboard camera systems and hardware to support the federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system.
Sensitive-edge exterior doors, which automatically retract if they come into contact with a person or object, are also fitted during the overhaul.
The refurbished vehicles are expected to remain in service for a further 12 to 15 years.
Jim Derwinski, Metra's Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, said:Metra is extremely proud of its rehab programs and the dedicated workers who are its heart and soul. 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.
Alongside the railcar programme, the agency also operates in-house locomotive and electric multiple unit (EMU) refurbishment programmes. It has recently begun repainting and carrying out minor repairs to locomotives owned by Trinity Railway Express in the Dallas–Fort Worth region, with the aim of expanding maintenance services for other commuter and passenger rail operators in the future.
