CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra will introduce a major upgrade to its SouthWest Service schedule as of Jan. 16, increasing the number of weekday trains from 12 to 30 as part of a pilot program.
“As we have done on other lines, we are adjusting the schedule on the SouthWest Service to meet increasing demand and to meet the need for more flexibility from My Metra riders,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a press release.
The new schedule is available here. Changes on the route between Chicago Union Station and Manhattan, Ill., will include the introduction of an express train in each direction; later evening departures from Chicago; increased service to outlying stations, compared to pre-COVID schedules; and syncing off-peak times with other lines to provide transfer opportunities at Union Station.
The SouthWest Service, originally a Wabash Railroad operation, was operated by Norfolk Southern prior to Metra assuming full operation in 1993. Service was extended to the current terminus of Manhattan in 2006. The route does not currently see weekend operation.
Until 2020, there was weekend service on the SWS. If Metra can add 18 trains on weekdays I do not understand what’s holding them back from adding any on the weekend.
This is wonderful, but also a bit of a head scratcher. The three SWS parking lots that I regularly drive past have nowhere near the number of cars as they had pre-covid. 179th St. in Orland Park rarely has more than 20 vehicles in it. It must be busier on down the line or Metra officials know a lot more than I’m seeing.
North Central service also is weekday only — twenty years or so into its operation.
Charles: That is indeed unfortunate the lack of weekend service on the North Central. I have no idea if “My Metra” has ever been presented with evidence that significant demand is out there. Regarding the SWS, pre-COVID Saturday service had been implemented although it was only three trains in each direction. I suppose it’s possible that Metra, in exchange for the at least promise of priority handling weekdays, cut a deal with freight railroads who control all the chokepoints (IHB at Chicago Ridge, CSX at Forest Hill, BRC at Belt Jct., and NS at CP518) that we would leave them alone weekends. I had a look at the new schedule and I gotta say it really looks good. The service is more spread out than the original service expansion of January 2006 and it offers more service to Manhattan. The SWS has a place in my heart. Previous to 1/2006 the SWS was combined with another dispatching territory. It was made a parttime standalone desk on weekdays (0500-1300 and 1300-2200) for that expansion. I took the day train dispatcher position and held it until retirement at the end of 2007. We had some wild times one of the most memorable being the morning #802 (#800’s slot on the new schedule) never made it to CUS account CSX ran their hotshot Q161 at Forest Hill with 12,000 feet of train and the crew on short time. We rolled (no pun intended) with that gut punch and arranged a plan so delays did not cascade on to following trains.
Mark, Forest Hill was a nightmare for CSX crews as well. 59th Street would routinely hold inbound trains until we had less than 30 minutes to work. Then, up pops the signal and we would be instructed to pull in to the north end to await relief by a yard crew. Many times, the rear of the train would be hanging over the diamonds at 75th Street until the yard crew could finish pulling the train into the yard. CREATE’s 75th Street flyover project will eliminate the cross-traffic conflicts.