Quote:
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-Electrification of the Rock Island District, the 40-mile route between downtown Chicago’s La Salle Street Station and Joliet, Ill. The Metra-owned line currently sees 67 trains each weekday. “We feel electrification is more reliable, it’s more efficient, and it reduces emissions. So that’s something that we’re looking at.”
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I never thought I'd see the day.
Rock Island is the obvious place to start electrification since Metra owns it and it's isolated from the rest of the system (although that will change once the SWS connection opens).
I wonder why the attitude change from Metra, though? This can't be related to Related's proposed tunnel at The 78? That could be mechanically ventilated, and would pose issues for future diesel SWS trains if it wasn't. Maybe the logic of electrification is finally sinking in via Toronto's Metrolinx program...
Also the electrification is useful on its own, but really Metra should look into high platforms as well. Because RI is isolated, it can run a different fleet of high-level cars...