en.Wedoany.com Reported - Metra has completed the overhaul of 302 commuter rail cars through an in-house refurbishment program, saving the agency over $100 million compared to outsourcing the work.
The overhaul project was carried out at Metra's 49th Street maintenance facility in Chicago, where approximately 150 employees stripped the aging cars down to their structural frames before reassembling them with upgraded systems and passenger amenities.
According to Metra, each car's overhaul cycle takes about four weeks, with a per-unit cost of approximately $850,000—far less than the expense of purchasing new cars or contracting external refurbishment.
The completed program focused on 302 Nippon Sharyo rail cars delivered between 2002 and 2008. Previously, the agency conducted an earlier phase from 2010 to 2017, overhauling 176 Amerail rail cars manufactured by Morrison Knudson and delivered between 1995 and 1998.
Overhaul work included installing new passenger amenities: power outlets, LED information displays, upgraded restrooms, and accessible wheelchair lifts. The cars were also equipped with new seats, composite flooring, improved air conditioning systems, upgraded battery chargers for emergency lighting, onboard camera systems, and hardware supporting the federally mandated Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system.
During the overhaul, sensitive-edge outward-opening doors were also installed, which automatically reverse and retract if the door contacts a person or object.
The refurbished cars are expected to remain in service for 12 to 15 years.
In addition to the rail car overhaul program, the agency operates in-house locomotive and Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) refurbishment programs. Recently, Metra began repainting and performing minor repairs on locomotives owned by the Trinity Railway Express in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with the goal of expanding maintenance services for other commuter and passenger rail operators in the future.
