45 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Metra website:

 

                                                  Metra Coronavirus response  

Dear Metra Customers,

Please know that Metra is doing everything it can to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We understand the importance of regularly cleaning and disinfecting our stations and equipment for the health and safety of our customers and employees. You can read about our efforts below. Customers can do their part, too, by following the guidelines of health professionals to prevent the spread of the virus, including regularly washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and other measures. Metra will remain in touch with federal, state and local health authorities and will make any changes to our procedures as necessary.

Thank you and be safe.
Jim Derwinski
CEO/Executive Director

 

Keeping our customers and employees safe is Metra’s top priority. We are doing what we can to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The measures we are taking include:

• Continuing to clean our cars every day, with a concentration on disinfecting high-touch areas such as handrails, armrests and doors. Starting this weekend, we will be bringing on extra crews on weekends to do additional cleaning and disinfecting of our cars and locomotives.

• Cleaning Metra-maintained stations multiple times a week. We will maintain our schedule and will pay special attention to disinfecting high-touch surfaces. We are also bringing in extra crews to increase the cleaning and disinfecting of downtown stations. We have also asked the municipalities or other entities that maintain the stations in their communities to do the same.

• Adding to our inventory of hygienic supplies including hand sanitizers, sanitizing wipes and disinfectants so employees have ample amounts of these essential supplies.
•  

While the immediate health risk from the virus causing COVID-19 remains low in both Illinois and the U.S., we also urge our customers and employees to take precautions recommended by federal, state and local healthcare officials.

•  Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If a tissue is not available, cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or shoulder.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
•  

We will continue to monitor this situation and work with health officials.

 

For updates, call Illinois’ COVID-19 Hotline at 1.800.889.3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.
You can also get updates from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

 

[CNJRoss]

3/17/20

Metra Alert - Metra will continue to operate its regular weekday schedule at least through Friday.

 

Attention customers: Metra will continue to operate its regular weekday schedule at least through Friday. Any switch to an alternate schedule will be announced well in advance.

 

[KevinKorell]

 

 

Alternate Service Schedules

 

First Published - 03/19/2020 - 11:56AM

 

Metra will begin operating an alternate weekday schedule on Monday, March 23, to adjust for the reduced number of riders due to school closures, work-from-home mandates and other consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The alternate schedules can be viewed here. There will be changes for every line except the Heritage Corridor, which will operate its normal schedule. Where we are able to, we will maintain the number of cars on trains to allow for social distancing. On a line-by-line basis, Metra is monitoring ridership and may further reduce service to meet the ridership demands. The reduced schedules will remain in effect until health officials deem the crisis has passed and/or ridership begins to return to normal. Metra will operate on regular weekend schedules this weekend.

 

Last Updated - 03/19/2020 - 11:56AM

 

Alternate Schedules

 

Below are the alternate schedules that Metra will implement on Monday, March 23, in response to lower ridership due to the coronavirus.

 

Alternate schedules are implemented when weather conditions or serious service disruptions do not allow for operation of regularly scheduled service. Public notice of the implementation of these alternative schedules will be posted on this website and distributed to major media outlets.

 

Below are links for how service may be modified on each line in the event of extreme weather or other service disruptions.    Please note, unless otherwise specified, the Heritage Corridor will run its regular weekday schedule.

 

These schedules may be subject to change depending on the anticipated severity of the service disruption.    

 

BNSF

MED

MDN

MDW

NCS

RID

SWS

UPN

UPNW

UPW

[CNJRoss]

Chicago Sun-Times, 3/19/20

Metra to cut service in half starting Monday amid coronavirus crisis, falling ridership

 

Ridership has seen a “severe drop” in the fallout of the pandemic, which has included state-wide school closures and work-from-home mandates.

 

 

With many people working from home, this inbound Metra train car on the Union Pacific North line was nearly empty at 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 16, 2020. 

 

 

Metra will cut its weekday service in half starting Monday in response to a drop in ridership during an outbreak of COVID-19.

 

Ridership has seen a “severe drop” in the fallout of the pandemic, which has included state-wide school closures and work-from-home mandates, Metra said in a statement Thursday.

 

The altered schedules, viewable online, apply to all Metra lines except the Heritage Corridor to Joliet.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Metra Alert 3/23/20

 

Medical personnel ride free during coronavirus pandemic  

(March 23, 2020) - Doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and other medical personnel on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic will now be able to ride free on Metra trains for the duration of the state’s “stay at home” order.

 

To ride free, medical personnel only need to present a work ID showing that they are employed at a hospital, doctor’s office, medical facility or local fire department to a Metra conductor.

 

“We know it’s a small gesture but if it makes this all a little bit easier for these men and women who are bravely showing up at work every day and saving lives during this crisis, it’s the right thing to do,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading 3/31/20

 

Metra launches 2020 construction program

 

 

Metra this week began several major projects as part of its 2020 construction program that will continue through the fall.

 

Commuter-rail service reductions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have enabled Metra to get an early start on its construction program, Metra officials said in a press release. 

 

“While we’d much rather be running normal service, we’re using this opportunity as best we can,” said Metra Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “By doing this, we hope to reduce the number of construction schedules needed this summer and may be able to finish some work more quickly than normal.”

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Metra news release

Metra conductor tests positive for COVID-19

 

 

(April 1, 2020) - A conductor assigned to the SouthWest Service Line has tested positive for COVID-19, Metra learned today. The employee has been home since reporting feeling ill on March 25. Other employees who had direct contact with that conductor have been self-isolating since that date, and all cars currently in use on the line have been cleaned and disinfected.

 

Three other Metra employees – all of them field workers who had no contact with the riding public – were confirmed as having tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. They have not been at work since March 20. Employees who had direct contact with them have been self-isolating. Their work facility and vehicles also have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

 

“The safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect them while still maintaining service for those who need it,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski.

 

Metra is following guidance from public health authorities to proactively implement measures that help protect the safety of our employees and customers. Those measures include:

 

•    Cleaning cars every day, with a special concentration on disinfecting high-touch areas such as handrails, armrests and doors. With fewer cars in use due to a modified weekday schedule, Metra has also been doing more deep cleaning. We are bringing on extra crews on weekends, when most cars are not in use, to do additional cleaning and disinfecting of our cars and locomotives.
•    Cleaning Metra-maintained stations multiple times a week. We will maintain our schedule and will pay special attention to disinfecting high-touch surfaces. We also brought in extra crews to increase the cleaning and disinfecting of downtown stations. We have also asked the municipalities or other entities that maintain the stations in their communities to do the same.

 

Metra is advising customers to comply with the state’s shelter-in-place mandate and travel only when necessary. If they must travel, Metra encourages riders to use the Ventra app to purchase all tickets, or use a credit card with agents. Using the app is the best and safest way to minimize contact between riders and onboard personnel. The app can be downloaded for free from the App store or Google Play.

 

We also urge our customers and employees to take precautions recommended by federal, state and local healthcare officials:

 

•    Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
•    If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
•    Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If a tissue is not available, cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or shoulder.
•    Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
•    Stay home when you are sick.

 

We will continue to monitor this situation and work with health officials.

 

 

[KevinKorell]

 

 

Alternate Service Schedules

 

First Published - 03/19/2020 - 11:56AM

Metra will begin operating an alternate weekday schedule on Monday, March 23, to adjust for the reduced number of riders due to school closures, work-from-home mandates and other consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The alternate schedules can be viewed here. There will be changes for every line except the Heritage Corridor, which will operate its normal schedule. Where we are able to, we will maintain the number of cars on trains to allow for social distancing. On a line-by-line basis, Metra is monitoring ridership and may further reduce service to meet the ridership demands. The reduced schedules will remain in effect until health officials deem the crisis has passed and/or ridership begins to return to normal. Metra will operate on regular weekend schedules. Please use the Ventra app to purchase tickets. The app can be downloaded free from the App Store or Google Play.

Last Updated - 04/01/2020 - 2:59PM

[KevinKorell]

Chicago, IL Tribune, 4/15/20:

 

  Coronavirus may cost Metra 97% of its April ridership, and leave $500 million budget hole over next two years   

 

 

 

Metra expects to lose more than $500 million in sales tax and ticket revenues by the end of 2021 due to fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, and there are worries that some riders may not return once the health crisis is over.

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

Opinion in Chicago, IL Sun-Times, 4/23/20:

 

Chicagos crush hour may take a new turn, but COVID-19 is not CTA or Metras death knell

 

 

In a very different time only a decade ago, safeguarding public health wasnt a major consideration when the Chicago Transit Authority removed all the seats on two cars of some rush-hour L trains in order to stuff more riders, cheek by jowl, aboard its cattle cars.

Story here. Cross posted between Coronavirus Metra & CTA threads since it mentions both.