45 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Woodstock, IL Independent, 10/1/20:

 

   THE FREE RIDE ON METRA IS OVER STARTING MONDAY  

 

 

If you boarded a Metra train in Woodstock during the past six months without a ticket to ride, you were in the clear. Union Pacific conductors on the Northwest line did not leave the front of the train to sell paper tickets or to validate passes purchased on the Ventra app.

 

Story is here.

[CNJRoss]

 

 

New Fare Collection Procedures on UP Metra Lines Focus on Health and Safety

 

Omaha, Neb., October 2, 2020

 

Effective Monday, Oct. 5, Chicago commuters riding the UP North, Northwest and West Metra lines must show a valid ticket when boarding an outbound train or upon arrival at Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC). Union Pacific employees positioned behind protective, plexiglass booths will verify fares as commuters enter or leave train platforms, similar to how the railroad managed large event crowds in the past. The process increases fare collection, while helping keep Union Pacific employees and Chicago commuters safe and healthy as the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

"Sadly, Union Pacific experienced the tragic loss of two employees when two ticket agents passed away earlier this year," said Union Pacific's General Superintendent of Commuter Operations Benita Gibson. "What we know about COVID-19 continues to change, and we have a responsibility to our employees and commuters to put their health and safety first."

 

Commuters are asked to have tickets or mobile devices ready to present, allowing them to efficiently move past verification booths, particularly with low ridership around 10% of pre-pandemic levels. Fare evasion signs are posted, and violators can be fined or prosecuted under state law.

 

Ticket sales at OTC and outlying stations resumed Sept. 28; however, Union Pacific strongly encourages commuters to use the Ventra app, which is the safest and most efficient way to purchase a ticket as also recommended by the Regional Transportation Authority and Metra. Union Pacific conductors will continue to be stationed in the front and rear rail cars of the train, responsible for safety during boarding and de-boarding, operating doors and providing ADA assistance.

 

"Union Pacific bases its decisions related to COVID-19 on science, as well as CDC, state and local guidance designed to protect employee and commuter health," said Union Pacific's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Laura Gillis. "The American Public Transportation Association recently acknowledged that managing proximity between riders and operators is key to protecting both from COVID-19 exposure. It further recommends installing physical separators, such as the protective plexiglass barriers our ticket verifiers are stationed behind, as an additional useful measure."

 

Union Pacific is committed to ensuring that commuters feel safe and confident as they return to riding trains, and has repeatedly asked Metra to increase its police presence to address commuters' safety concerns, as well as enforce ticketing and mask requirements. Responsibility for onboard passenger and public safety has been Metra's responsibility for nearly three years. Union Pacific employees, like passengers who may observe inappropriate or unlawful behavior, are instructed to contact Metra Police who are trained and equipped to handle these situations.

 

While Union Pacific continues to negotiate with Metra on a transfer of services, its actions related to ticket sales and verification are strictly related to employee and commuter health and safety. The railroad will continue to re-evaluate its processes as more data becomes available and will make adjustments, as necessary.

 

[CNJRoss]

Railway Age, 10/5/20

 

Ticket verification begins along UP Metra lines

 

 

Union Pacific has resumed ticket sales along the Metra lines it operates under contract (UP North, Northwest and West) and is requiring riders to show valid tickets as they board outbound trains or arrive at the Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) in Chicago.

 

UP employees will be on platforms in plexiglass booths for verification. Fare evasion signs are posted, and violators can be fined or prosecuted under state law.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 10/5/20

 

UP announces new fare collection rules on its Metra lines

 

 

Effective today, Chicago commuters riding the Union Pacific North, Northwest and West Metra lines must show a valid ticket when boarding an outbound train or upon arrival at Ogilvie Transportation Center.

 

Union Pacific Railroad employees behind protective, plexiglass booths will verify fares as commuter enter or leave train platforms, similar to how the railroad managed large event crowds in the past, UP officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Streetsblog Chicago, 10/6/20
 

Ogilvie ticket verification booths are a symptom of harmful Metra / Union Pacific conflict

 

The new ticket verification booths. Image: WGN News

 

As if safety concerns, a 90 percent drop in ridership, and plummeting ticket revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t enough to worry about, Metra commuter rail’s ongoing dispute with the Union Pacific railroad, which operates three of Metra’s lines, has come to a head during the crisis.

 

For months during the pandemic, Metra essentially collected no fares, since it instructed its conductors not to check tickets as a safety precaution. In June, after the infection and fatality rate dropped in Illinois, Metra ordered its conductors to check tickets again. But Union Pacific, which runs the UP North, Northwest and West lines, the three routes that terminate at the downtown Ogilvie Transportation Center, still isn’t letting its conductors collect fares, claiming it’s still worried about coronavirus safety.

 

A rail industry professional close to the issue, who requested anonymity out of concerns of repercussions, told Streetsblog that two Ogilvie ticket agents died after contracting the coronavirus. (Union Pacific has confirmed the deaths but declined to say whether they were COVID-related.)

 

However, the rail professional argued that Union Pacific’s chief incentive for refusing to collect fares is financial: UP wants to force Metra to pay to take over commuter rail operations for the three lines.  ...

 

Continue here.

 

Related:  Metra asks STB to intervene in UP service dispute

[KevinKorell]

WBBM Radio, Chicago, IL, 1/5/21:

 

    Metra hopes to lure riders back to commuter lines as COVID vaccinations ramp up  

 

 

Metra is starting to think ahead to when people start returning to work in-person and wants to lure them back to commuter trains.

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

Metra press release, 1/21/21:

 

 

   New Rock Island schedule takes effect Feb. 1    

 

Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, Metra’s Rock Island Line customers will have more travel options, including new early morning trains that were requested by riders and some additional express service.

 

The new schedule can be viewed here.

 

Continue reading.

[KevinKorell]

Metra website, 1/14/21:

 

   Metra extends $10 All-Day Pass through February 2021 

 

 

Metra is extending its $10 All-Day Pass offer through February 28, 2021, continuing to give its customers a flexible and affordable fare option during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Update

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 3/4/21

 

Metra, BOMA to host return-to-work summit

 

 

Metra and the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA/Chicago) will host a Safe Return to Work Summit next week to educate businesses on ways to safeguard offices and return safely on public transportation.

 

The in-person event will be held on March 11 at Metra’s 49th Street Training Center in Chicago and also will be live-streamed.

 

The summit will address some of the psychological, scientific and business narratives related to COVID-19.  . . .

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

CBS Chicago, 4/12/21:

 

 

   Metra Adding More Trains As People Start Returning To Office, But Roll Toward Normalcy Is Slow  

 

 

Metra is expanding its schedule – adding more trains because of an uptick in the number of people returning to the office.

 

Full story