Metra finally issuing an RFP for 200 bilevel cars with options for 200 more. So happy that only one manufacturer even responded to the previous RFP for new gallery cars so they had to actually bother looking at modern bilevels.
Also seems the VW settlement money has shaken loose. Conditions of the funding mean Metra has to buy the most modern locomotives with Tier 4 emissions so that probably means we'll actually be seeing SC-44s at some point in the future since the EMD F125 is a disaster.
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Metra on Wednesday announced plans to buy at least 200 new rail cars, which could help cut delays on the system.
The commuter railroad is putting out a request for proposals for 200 to 400 cars that are compatible with its diesel locomotives. Currently, Metra has 848 diesel rail cars, with an average age of 30. Some cars are more than 60 years old.
Also at Wednesday’s monthly board meeting, Metra announced that funding is available to build the long-awaited Peterson/Ravenswood station in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood, and the agency plans to buy eight new low-emission locomotives.
New rail cars would replace older cars, and could have a different design that would accommodate more people and allow for easier boarding.
That could help with delays, which in part can be caused by doors on old cars getting stuck during inclement weather. Another cause is slow boarding, which can be alleviated by more seats on cars, more doors and fewer stairs, Metra officials said.
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Metra can pay for about 200 new cars using both financial reserves and existing federal and local funding. Proposals will be due in August, and Metra hopes to finalize it by the end of the year. The railroad also hopes that the state legislature will pass a capital bill to provide more funding for new equipment. There has not been a capital bill in 10 years.
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Metra said it plans to spend a total of $56 million, including $14 million from a settlement with the Volkswagen car company, to buy eight “Tier 4” locomotives, which are the lowest-emission type of diesel locomotive. Illinois received about $109 million from $15 billion in settlements with the German car company after it admitted to installing secret software that allowed U.S. diesel vehicles to emit up to 40 times more pollution than legal limits. The Illinois portion of the settlement is intended for clean-air programs. Derwinski told reporters that the new locomotives would probably go on the BNSF line.
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...319-story.html