advertisement

When do all commuters get a softer seat?

Metra Electric Line riders can look forward to a comfier ride later this year when the agency rolls out 160 new Highliner cars.

So what about the remaining commuters bouncing along in vintage train cars that have seen better days?

That’s something the agency will consider as it develops a long-range capital plan covering equipment and infrastructure needs, officials said Friday at a meeting.

The $560 million contract for the cars was awarded to Nippon Sharyo, a Japanese-based company which has its U.S. headquarters in Arlington Heights.

No U.S. contractor has the ability to bend stainless steel to fit the design of the train cars, Deputy Executive Director George Hardwidge told board members.

But the company is building a permanent factory in Rochelle that will build the cars and employ about 330 people.

Nippon Sharyo workers assembled and are testing two prototype Highliners in Japan. The prototypes will be shipped to the Rochelle factory in June and the cars could be in use by November.

Board Director Jack Schafer of Cary told administrators he rode on a full Union Pacific Northwest Line train Friday morning and he expects more commuters as gas prices soar.

“Our regular nonelectric fleet is not adequate,” he said.

Staff planners are looking at the older cars in Metra’s fleet and assessing needs along with expected passenger growth, Executive Director Alex Clifford said.

But the process of buying new rail cars is complicated and expensive. Metra is receiving state capital funds to pay for the Highliner cars. “You can’t go to the coach car yard and buy a couple of coach cars,” Clifford said.

Nippon Sharyo will move its headquarters to Rochelle, which is south of Rockford, later this year but the change should affect only about half of the 20 workers at the Arlington Heights offices, an official said.

The new cars have bigger windows, better lighting, more comfortable seats, and an improved public address system.

To see the location of the factory, go to http://maps.google.com/maps

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.