Info...or lack of it

[trainman8119]

From a comment page in today's Trib regarding the storm situation and road closures:

Ann on September 15, 2008 9:15 AM

Pace bus route 313 is running over an hour late. No updates to their website to let commuters know before they head out to the stop.

The tracking website is also incorrect, still showing buses arriving on time.

I phoned customer service and they say you have to call them to find out if routes are going to be late. {Sigh} So what's the point of having a website with supposedly real time arrival predictions?

I'm a dork, I should have called first, but checked the website and everything seemed ok.

Ya gotta love progress and technology !!!!!

[Busjack]

From a comment page in today's Trib regarding the storm situation and road closures:

Ya gotta love progress and technology !!!!!

1. I was in Glenview when Patriot Drive was closed. I saw some 423s bypassing the area, but others getting through. Of course, since that part of the map isn't on WebWatch anyway, I guess you take your chances if you were going to get on at the Glen Town Center or Park Center. Of course, I was dumb enough to be driving around in the deluge.

2. As far as a Pace bus being an hour late, you would notice that only if you were on it, since most of them run once an hour on Saturday, anyway (313 included). It is sort of like Metra running an hour late during rush hour--you take whatever train leaves at 5:15, even if it is the 4:15.

Thus a question for trainman: Does Metra then run the 5:15 at 6:15, even though everybody probably packed the earlier train, and the next train on the schedule is 6:30?

[trainman8119]

Thus a question for trainman: Does Metra then run the 5:15 at 6:15, even though everybody probably packed the earlier train, and the next train on the schedule is 6:30?

In some (even most) cases yes, especially when it involves a crew tying up or getting equipment positioned someplace. There are cases if something is so totally screwed up that they will bypass a train and switch crews around and get back on scedule that way. More often than not, at least on the Metra owned lines, something will run, even though it is way late (it's money related).

[Guest ctafan630]

This is sorta on topic as far as lack of information, but it is more Metra related than Pace related.

If Metra is running behin schedule how do you know the run number of the train. The run number is only announced once and that is at the beginning of the trip at Union Station. It would be nice to know what the the run number is especially if you are waiting at a stop outside of Union Station. It does some one no good to get on a delayed train only to find out the train is not stopping at a stop you need.

[Busjack]

This is sorta on topic as far as lack of information, but it is more Metra related than Pace related.

If Metra is running behin schedule how do you know the run number of the train. The run number is only announced once and that is at the beginning of the trip at Union Station. It would be nice to know what the the run number is especially if you are waiting at a stop outside of Union Station. It does some one no good to get on a delayed train only to find out the train is not stopping at a stop you need.

Admittedly, only the Metra Electric shows train numbers. However, the basic answer is you can't ride a Metra train without a print schedule or a reasonable facsimile thereof, and since, during the rush hour, trains run in zones, the only place where you can run into trouble at an outlying station is a common stop point, like Glenview, and you can ask the conductor before showing your ticket (or even use an attended door and ask the conductor there). As long as you explain your situation to the conductor, they will usually let you transfer. There are very few skip stop situations, although things like adding the Lake Cook and North Glenview (the Glen) stations have resulted in some skip stops inbound on the Milw N in the morning (apparently to accommodate riders from the Grayslake area to those stations).

I ran into a similar situation when the 3:35 Milw N train was split into the 3:37 local and 3:55 express. Normally, the locals make all stops to Deerfield, but I noticed on the track board at Union Station that my station was missing, so I asked someone in a conductor's uniform, who told me to take the 3:55. Turns out that, to cycle the equipment, that local skips The Glen through Lake Cook.

Usually, during the rush hour, there will be a platform announcement at outlying stations that a particular train is so many minutes late (i.e. Burlington train no. 1249 is now in Brookfield and running 20 minutes late west of that).

[Guest ctafan630]

Admittedly, only the Metra Electric shows train numbers. However, the basic answer is you can't ride a Metra train without a print schedule or a reasonable facsimile thereof, and since, during the rush hour, trains run in zones, the only place where you can run into trouble at an outlying station is a common stop point, like Glenview, and you can ask the conductor before showing your ticket (or even use an attended door and ask the conductor there). As long as you explain your situation to the conductor, they will usually let you transfer. There are very few skip stop situations, although things like adding the Lake Cook and North Glenview (the Glen) stations have resulted in some skip stops inbound on the Milw N in the morning (apparently to accommodate riders from the Grayslake area to those stations).

I ran into a similar situation when the 3:35 Milw N train was split into the 3:37 local and 3:55 express. Normally, the locals make all stops to Deerfield, but I noticed on the track board at Union Station that my station was missing, so I asked someone in a conductor's uniform, who told me to take the 3:55. Turns out that, to cycle the equipment, that local skips The Glen through Lake Cook.

Usually, during the rush hour, there will be a platform announcement at outlying stations that a particular train is so many minutes late (i.e. Burlington train no. 1249 is now in Brookfield and running 20 minutes late west of that).

I understand what you are saying. However even with a print schedule and knowing which train you need to be on, there is no way for a person getting on at an outlying stop what the train number actually is. For example if I am at Downers Grove and the trains are running 5-15 minutes behind schedule. The time is now 5:55 and I need to be on the #1269 going to Aurora. How does one know the next train that pulls up is actually the #1269 to Aurora and not the #1261 that only goes to Route 59? With all the announcement technology, you would think Metra could announce the train number at the stops or every few stops so people that board outside of Union Station know what the train number is.

If Metra is running ON-TIME, one can use the schedule to get an idea of what the train number is, but when Metra is running late, the schedule does no good.

[Busjack]

I understand what you are saying. However even with a print schedule and knowing which train you need to be on, there is no way for a person getting on at an outlying stop what the train number actually is.

I don't think the train number is as relevant to the average rider as whether the train stops at my station, about which one can ask the conductor. Also, because of the zone system and platform announcements, the problem is not that widespread. Again, personal opinion.

[trainman8119]

I agree with ctafan that Metra really does not provide very good info when trains are late. If you are waiting at a stop for awhile, you can reasonably bet that the trains will come in order and that all are behind. Remember, they are on a track and can't usually get around where one would be out of turn. But if you are coming in late, you have no idea what is where and announcements are rarely made at outlying stations as to what is what....just that things are late. This happens as much on the Electric as the diesel lines, even though train numbers are on the trains. People don't pay much attention to what is coming...paying attention to train numbers...even when they are on time.