Union Pacific Northwest Line & North Central Service

Press Release - Metra - March 28 2005

Special Note: Customers destined for Cumberland please note bussing information in third paragraph.

All Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line & North Central Service trains may experience up to 15 minute delays for the next two to three weeks.

A fire in the machine controlling the track switches in the area of DesPlaines destroyed the remote control capability and, therefore, all movement through the area must be manually flagged through at a restricted speed. To assist us in minimizing delays, the freight carriers will suspend freight train operation during the rush hours. We will take steps to minimize delays and will work to restore service as soon as possible.

On Monday 3/28 & Tuesday 3/29, it will be necessary to bus customers going to Cumberland during the evening rush hour. Passengers on train #625 due to depart Chicago At 4:10 pm, #627 due to depart Chicago at 4:39 pm, train #635 due to depart Chicago at 5:06 pm, train #643 due to depart at 5:23 pm and train #647 scheduled to depart 5:47 pm will detrain at DesPlaines station where a bus will be available to take them to Cumberland. Union Pacific officers will be on hand at DesPlaines and Cumberland to insure that bussing causes minimal inconvenience. We are anticipating that this will allow us to complete the necessary work in that area and resume stopping at the station on Wednesday evening. These are the only trains which will be bussed.

We will update this information as the situation progresses.

Just to clear things up if my memory serves me correctly from my most recent visits to Chicago:

The NorthCentral service starts out from Union Station, and runs west along the same tracks as the Milwaukee District-West line to Elgin. Then at River Grove, it turns north onto the ex-Wisconsin Central tracks. The WC line runs through Des Plaines but has no stop there. It crosses the UP NW line (which begins at Ogilvie Transp. Center) at grade at Deval Tower just west of the UP Line's Des Plaines station. At Deval there is also a third line, also run by UP, that handles freight only.

Someone from the Chicago area please correct me if I am wrong. Hopefully this paints a picture of why two passenger lines, and three lines that handle freight, were affected by this fire.