Buffalo Grove Man Charged With Punching Metra Conductor In Face
A 51-year-old north suburban man has been charged with punching a Metra conductor in the face two weeks ago at Union Station, according to the transit agency.
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A 51-year-old north suburban man has been charged with punching a Metra conductor in the face two weeks ago at Union Station, according to the transit agency.
Metra riders can now access free Wi-Fi hotspots at all five downtown stations, the transit agency announced Thursday.
Inbound train No. 2202, scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 6:13 a.m., was stopped shortly before 5 a.m. after it struck the pedestrian near the River Grove station at Thatcher Avenue and Arnold Street, Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile said.
Chicago-area transit officials sound increasingly anxious over the inability to legislative leaders and the governor to reach agreement on a state budget.
The Ventra smart phone app is off to a fast start. By mid-afternoon Thursday, the first day it was available to the general public, more than 20,000 people had downloaded the free app and it was the #3 trending app at The App Store.
A Milwaukee District North Line Metra train was evacuated Tuesday evening due to a fire.
Passengers might notice extra security when boarding the train during the morning commute on Monday.
Getting around Chicago on public transportation is about to get a lot easier. The CTA, Metra, and Pace have announced a new app that will allow riders to pay for fares on all three systems using their mobile devices.
Normal service on the Metra Electric District's Blue Island branch will resume Thursday morning after trains were suspended Wednesday night because of electrical wire problems.
The increases are tucked into 2016 budgets that the Metra and Pace boards approved unanimously in separate votes Wednesday.
Both inbound and outbound trains were stopped on the Milwaukee District / North Line; the Milwaukee District / West Line; the Rock Island District Line; and the Metra Electric District, the transit agency reported at 12:50 a.m. Wednesday. Signals and power were completely restored by 2:23 a.m.
Inbound train No. 624, scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 8:26 AM, struck a pedestrian in Barrington about 7:15 a.m., according to Metra spokesman Tom Miller. Trains were halted in both directions for more than two hours after the crash.
Trains in both directions on Metra's BNSF line have been halted due to "a pedestrian incident."
Adam Castilla, 25, of Plainfield was found dead in a bathroom aboard a Metra/Burlington Northern passenger train at the Aurora Transportation Center around 2 p.m. Thursday.
The body of the man was found aboard a Burlington Northern line train, and officers responded to the Aurora Transportation Center around 2 p.m., police said.
Metra has suspended service on one of its main commuter lines running between the city and the western suburbs.
"We are pleased that the test on the Rock Island Line went well and that we can now offer this option to all of our customers," Metra Executive Director and Don Orseno said in a statement.
Nine years after Metra Police Officer Thomas Cook was gunned down at a train station in Harvey, his accused killer was set to go on trial this week.
Delays on Metra and Amtrak lines are growing, not to mention the freight hauled to and through the Chicago area by rail. A blue ribbon panel commissioned by Amtrak believes it has the answers -- but they won't come cheap.
Howard Learner, president of Chicago's Environmental Law and Policy Center, said the problems can best be described this way: If each airline at O'Hare International Airport had its own traffic controllers, the result would be chaos. Learner said that effectively is what the nation's major railroads are doing.
The head of Metra's board of directors has urged Congress to extend the deadline to install some costly safety equipment, or the commuter rail line and other railroads could be forced to come to a halt.
Following a successful three-month test on one commuter rail line, Metra will now allow small pets on all of its weekend trains. Pets must be in an enclosed, protective carrier.
The nation's major freight railroads are threatening partial or total shutdowns Jan. 1, unless Congress extends the deadline for installing new signaling systems and software -- and Metra and Amtrak are caught in the middle.
The Regional Transportation Authority is discussing an end to most reduced and free rides, should Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed cuts to mass transit funding come true.
