Bartlett's new train station on track

The Metra station in downtown Bartlett dates back to 1873, making it the oldest operating depot on the line. It's a distinction officials have been looking to drop for years.

Their wait will be over at the end of October, when Bartlett's new train station at Town Center is set to open.

Metra is spending close to $2 million on the new station, according to village building director Brian Goralski. But no one was thrilled with the rail agency's bare-bones design, so the village board approved putting more than $400,000 into upgrades to make the Prairie-style station more passenger friendly.

"I'm proud of the station and its design," said Village President Catherine Melchert.

Aesthetic upgrades such as a copper roof, stained glass, brick platform and street lamps will help the exterior complement the adjacent Town Center. Also on the way are public bathrooms and air conditioning, two amenities foreign to the 1,200 people using the current station daily.

"The days of squished, wet and cold riders are over," Melchert said.

The station will also accommodate 300-plus square feet for a vendor, which the village board discussed at a Tuesday meeting.

Bartlett received three proposals, each from people wanting to rent the space as a coffee shop. Trustees were disappointed at the lack of responses, especially since initially there were 15 interested parties. They forwarded the proposals onto the economic development commission, and didn't rule out the idea of restarting the bidding process.

Construction on the station has been chugging along, but different delays have set the project back a month. In addition to harsh weather conditions, workers discovered the soil was contaminated, likely due to more than 100 years of rail traffic and prior industrial uses on the land. Bartlett and Metra did an "extensive cleanup," Goralski said.

The old station won't become just a memory.

Bartlett signed an agreement with Metra to turn it into a museum exhibiting the village's storied railway history.

Assistant Village Administrator Paula Schumacher said Bartlett is in the process of applying for a grant that would help fund its restoration.