Metra to rehab 302 more railcars with new seats, amenities

SHARE Metra to rehab 302 more railcars with new seats, amenities
metralogo_cst_123014_1.jpg

Sun-Times file photo

The Metra commuter rail service is starting a new round of railcar improvements.

Metra recently completed rehabilitation of 176 railcars the rail service received between 1995 and 1998. The next 302 cars that are being rehabbed were delivered between 2002 and 2008.

Each rail car will get new seats, better air conditioning and electric outlets so passengers can power cellphones and other electronics. New LED signs will display announcements inside each car. New bathrooms and wheelchair lifts also will be installed.

The work is being done by Metra employees at a cost of about $700,000 per railcar.

Metra says it takes about 28 days to rehab each car, and the work will extend the life of each railcar up to 15 years.

The Latest
The man was found unresponsive in an alley in the 10700 block of South Lowe Avenue, police said.
The man suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.”
Women make up just 10% of those in careers such as green infrastructure and clean and renewable energy, a leader from Openlands writes. Apprenticeships and other training opportunities are some of the ways to get more women into this growing job sector.
Chatterbox doesn’t seem aware that it’s courteous to ask questions, seek others’ opinions.