CHICAGO — In a rarity on a number of fronts, Metra operated a special train today (Sunday, Dec. 10) for members of Congress between Chicago Union Station and the O’Hare Airport station on the North Central Service line. The train, using one of Metra’s decorated holiday train sets generally led by F40PH-3 No. 104, the specially painted Chicago commemorative unit, had one of the commuter operators new SD70MACH units, No. 507, on the point. It was a rare weekend Metra move on the North Central line — albeit just a small fraction of that route, after leaving the Milwaukee West line at tower B-12 in Franklin Park, Ill. At least equally rare, the train was turned from the normal direction for operations on the North Central line, meaning it was led by its cab car leaving Union Station and its locomotives entering the station.
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) said in posts on X (formerly Twitter) that the train trip was part of the Bipartisan Policy Center Congressional Exchange and was to discuss the infrastructure needs of Metra and other rail lines. The route offered Metra a chance to show off the potential for service between downtown and O’Hare it hopes to develop [see “Metra’s big ‘ask’ …” Trains News Wire, Jan. 7, 2019, and “Creating a New Path,” Chicago: America’s Railroad Capital, Updated 2023 edition.
