en.Wedoany.com Reported - Metra, the commuter rail agency serving the Chicago area, has completed a multi-year in-house railcar overhaul project, fully refurbishing 302 cars. The project was carried out by approximately 150 employees at Metra's workshop on Chicago's South Side, with each car taking about four weeks to overhaul at a cost of roughly $850,000.

During the refurbishment process, workers stripped the aging cars down to near-new condition, including overhauling the air conditioning, onboard camera systems, and hardware components of the federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system. Other upgrades include new restrooms, wheelchair lifts, power outlets, and modern amenities such as new LED signage.

Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski stated in a press release that the overhaul project not only saved money for regional taxpayers and passengers but also provided high-quality refurbishment services, ensuring safe and comfortable travel for passengers for years to come.

The overhaul program began in 2010, with an initial seven-year project refurbishing 176 cars. The just-completed 302-car project is the second major initiative, targeting cars delivered to Metra by Nippon Sharyo between 2002 and 2008. Metra officials said that after refurbishment, these cars will serve another 12 to 15 years.

In addition to the railcar overhaul program, Metra has also launched a locomotive overhaul program, a newer initiative aimed at refurbishing self-propelled electric cars used on Metra's electric lines and collaborating with other railroads to perform minor repairs on its owned locomotives.