Metra completes rail-car rehabilitation project

“Metra is extremely proud of its rehab programs and the dedicated workers who are its heart and soul,” said Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski in a press release. “We are not only saving regional taxpayers and our riders money, but we are turning out quality rehabs that ensure our riders will travel in safety and comfort for many years to come.” The process to rehabilitate a car takes about four weeks and costs roughly $850,000. Work is done in Metra’s shops on the South Side of Chicago with about 150 employees. Workers strip down worn-out cars and return them to like-new condition, with overhauled air conditioning, in-car camera systems and hardware components for the federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system. Other upgrades include new toilets, wheelchair lifts and modern amenities such as electric outlets and new LED signage, Metra officials said. The rehab program launched in 2010 with a seven-year project to renovate 176 cars. The 302 rail cars just completed comprise the program’s second major project, which renovated cars originally delivered to Metra by Nippon Sharyo between 2002 and 2008. They will now be in service for another 12 to 15 years, Metra officials said. The rail-car program is in addition to Metra’s locomotive rehab program, a newer initiative to rehab the self-propelled electric cars used on the Metra Electric Line, and collaborative efforts to make minor repairs to locomotives owned by other railroads. Take a peek inside Metra's 49th Street rehab shop in this RailPrime story.