Commuters have until Friday to give their opinions.
- LOCAL CONNECTIONS
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Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Metra is in the process of developing a new strategic plan, which officials said will guide the agency for years to come. A short survey seeking input fromDowners Grove and other communities Metra serves will be available until Friday. In this initial phase, Metra would like to individuals to weigh in with their thoughts on the following questions: What should Metra's mission be? What should Metra's vision for the future be? What projects should Metra focus its energies and resources on? The survey can be found here.
The passenger car rehab program will help Metra riders recharge their electronic devices. Renovated cars will include power outlets and other rider-friendly features.
As part of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar program to renovate its rail cars, Metra is installing a variety of new features to improve the passenger experience—perhaps most noticeably by adding power outlets so riders can charge their electrical devices. In a major cost-saving measure, the cars are being refurbished in-house by Metra workers. The program aims to rehabilitate 176 cars that were built by Amerail (originally Morrison Knudson) between 1995 and 1998. The car shells were built in Japan but the cars were assembled in Chicago. Forty cars have been completed so far and 60 should be completed by the end of the year. The entire Amerail fleet, which includes 79 cab cars and 97 trailer cars, should be done by the end of 2016, …
