Metra Governance

[trainman8119]

[Busjack]

The Daily Herald says Mulder will be out when her term ends in June (i.e. 9 months away) and that Widmer's term was already up.

It would also seem that South Holland Village President Don Degraff is also violating the double dipping provision.

I guess trainman can apply to Larry Suffredin, if trainman lives in MaineTwp. Except that:

No director, while serving as such, shall be an officer, a member of the
board of directors or trustee or an employee of any transportation agency,
or be an employee of the State of Illinois or any department or agency thereof,
or of any unit of local government or receive any compensation from any
elected or appointed office under the Constitution and laws of Illinois (70 ILCS 3615/3B.02(-c-)).

So, I guess trainman would have to give up his lucrative trainman position for $15,000 and no pension. Maybe you were lucky Preckwinkle didn't respond.

[trainman8119]

Maybe I should just be a consultant

[mkohut]

Maybe I should just be a consultant

lol

[Busjack]

The Sun-Times has an article that the current Metra board is waiving attorney-client privilege with respect to the Inspector General's investigation.

While the reporter made a big deal about this, I don't think the board had much choice, given that the privilege may not be used to cover up wrongdoing, not to mention my contention that the board has a malpractice claim against the attorneys they just fired (on the basis that they gave negligent advice regarding the existence of insurance), which waives the privilege, too. I'm still waiting for some public announcement that they are filing the malpractice suit, though.

[mkohut]

The Sun-Times has an article that the current Metra board is waiving attorney-client privilege with respect to the Inspector General's investigation.

While the reporter made a big deal about this, I don't think the board had much choice, given that the privilege may not be used to cover up wrongdoing, not to mention my contention that the board has a malpractice claim against the attorneys they just fired (on the basis that they gave negligent advice regarding the existence of insurance), which waives the privilege, too. I'm still waiting for some public announcement that they are filing the malpractice suit, though.

It should be note Oberman was at the Metra meeting.Even without City Council approve.

I agree they had no choice.They need all the good PR they can get.

[Busjack]

It should be note Oberman was at the Metra meeting.Even without City Council approve.

I agree they had no choice.They need all the good PR they can get.

It wasn't an issue of PR (they are shot as it is), but what became legally necessary, sort of similar to Clifford having to testify before the legislative committee, although we haven't heard anything from it since her Aldermanship moved on.

[Busjack]

Looks like trainman didn't get the appointment, as it is reported that both Preckwinkle and the North/West county commissioners each selected retired CTA personnel.

I'm not sure what to make of this, since (unlike those running CTA), there two have transit experience, but I wonder if they predate when CTA became incompetent.

[mkohut]

Looks like trainman didn't get the appointment, as it is reported that both Preckwinkle and the North/West county commissioners each selected retired CTA personnel.

I'm not sure what to make of this, since (unlike those running CTA), there two have transit experience, but I wonder if they predate when CTA became incompetent.

While trainman didn't get his wish.What probably happen was they didn't want to take any heat for it by appointing people with experience.

[Busjack]

While trainman didn't get his wish.What probably happen was they didn't want to take any heat for it by appointing people with experience.

Apparently you didn't read the articles, which said they had 65 years of transit experience, but with CTA.

[mkohut]

Apparently you didn't read the articles, which said they had 65 years of transit experience, but with CTA.

i want to clarify it.They didn't want to pick somebody who was with political connection vs somebody with experience.

[trainman8119]

It seems the pols want to ruin the Metra commuter concept and turn it into the CTA,

so it is no surprise they would pick CTA people instead of railroad people. More reasons

to want out.

[Busjack]

.... Who threw METRA's Wiggins on his ass a last month ?

Searching, it turns out there is a source for this report (Sun-Times; Crain's), although attributed to a confidential personnel matter.

[Busjack]

Just announced that Orseno got the permanent job (e.g. Tribune).

The question I have is that since Metra has not followed modern business practices (like not putting performance requirements in the contract with UP), if having an old line railroad person in charge will cure things.

[trainman8119]

Just announced that Orseno got the permanent job (e.g. Tribune).

The question I have is that since Metra has not followed modern business practices (like not putting performance requirements in the contract with UP), if having an old line railroad person in charge will cure things.

It will help, but it won't cure things.

As long as you have a political board and so called "know it all" congressmen pretending to have all the answers in so-called congressional hearings, you can have Samuel Pullman running the show with the same results.

You have to realize that the brass at the UP could give a rats ass about passenger commuter service in Chicago. Their priority is and always was freight, primarily intermodal and coal. They dispatch using computer preference. If there is a conflict, the priority is 1) intermodal 2) coal 3) passenger train. It has been that way ever since they took over. Pretty much the same thing as the CN flexing their muscle regarding the Antioch service telling Metra, no weekend service and no more trains than they have now, regardless of how much $$$ Metra put into the expansion/upgrade and agreements made with the Wisconsin Central. You never hear about that. I can't say exactly what the problem is with the BN, but I suspect 90% of it is on Amtrak for poor maintenance at Union Station. Remember, both north and south ends were re-done within the last 10 years, but there are still constant switch failures there (it seems more on the south end vs the north). You don't see any fingerpointing at them. I wonder why.

As for the A2 interlockING (NOT interlockER), yes it is old. There are more than 800 trains a day through there. There have been plans for revamp there for years, including more yard space in a supposed land swap with the city on the auto pound there. But too many unfunded mandates, such as the joke of a GPS system and positive train control, among others keep anyone from doing anything there.

So, everyone thinks they know, but unfortunately, they know nothing

[MRChiCity]

It will help, but it won't cure things.

As long as you have a political board and so called "know it all" congressmen pretending to have all the answers in so-called congressional hearings, you can have Samuel Pullman running the show with the same results.

You have to realize that the brass at the UP could give a rats ass about passenger commuter service in Chicago. Their priority is and always was freight, primarily intermodal and coal. They dispatch using computer preference. If there is a conflict, the priority is 1) intermodal 2) coal 3) passenger train. It has been that way ever since they took over. Pretty much the same thing as the CN flexing their muscle regarding the Antioch service telling Metra, no weekend service and no more trains than they have now, regardless of how much $$$ Metra put into the expansion/upgrade and agreements made with the Wisconsin Central. You never hear about that. I can't say exactly what the problem is with the BN, but I suspect 90% of it is on Amtrak for poor maintenance at Union Station. Remember, both north and south ends were re-done within the last 10 years, but there are still constant switch failures there (it seems more on the south end vs the north). You don't see any fingerpointing at them. I wonder why.

As for the A2 interlockING (NOT interlockER), yes it is old. There are more than 800 trains a day through there. There have been plans for revamp there for years, including more yard space in a supposed land swap with the city on the auto pound there. But too many unfunded mandates, such as the joke of a GPS system and positive train control, among others keep anyone from doing anything there.

So, everyone thinks they know, but unfortunately, they know nothing

This is the problem too much political "jaw jacking." Trainman maybe they should all play Metra Conductor for a day? What do you think?

[Busjack]

...

You have to realize that the brass at the UP could give a rats ass about passenger commuter service in Chicago. ..

My point was that since railroad guys should know this, apparently they shouldn't give them a contract under which (according to the 2014 budget, page 46) the taxpayers pay Union Pacific a subsidy of $106 million, but apparently (according to news reports) does not include service standards, at least including reporting missed trips.

Especially when the budget says:

Metra’s Operations are overseen by the Deputy Executive Director Operations ...The division also provides executive oversight and direction to contract carriers (BNSF and Union Pacific) to ensure that rail operations are consistent with Metra’s standards and practices.

So, what was the Deputy Director of Operations doing this winter?

CTA, while also a political mess, apparently had sufficient standards in its contacts that Cubic wasn't paid and Bombardier had to fix its cars. Pace is a similar political organization, but its contracts at least require that the contract carriers report missed trips. It is inconceivable that some remote dispatcher for UP could give orders to clear out all the local passengers onto the Clybourn platform without first clearing that with someone in Metra Operations.

In essence, knowing that the freight railroads don't care, someone (and probably other than a railroad person) would know to put these kinds of safeguards into the contract.

Another indication of Metra's lousy business environment is that it buries its budget so that it takes 4 clicks, starting only at the bottom of the home page, to get to it. At least CTA and Pace have links to Finance and Budget on their pulldowns.

[Busjack]

After posting the above. I saw that the Tribune has an article, where some state legislators said about the same thing, and Orseno tried to brush them off.

Orseno also acknowledged that most of the delays and cancellations occurred on Metra lines operated by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway but rejected any suggestion that Metra has been "too easy" on the UP and BNSF.

Lawmakers asked whether financial penalties against the two freight railroads would lead to better passenger service, an idea Orseno said would be futile.

"When you talk about financial penalties, you can argue back and forth all day and it would cost you more arguing about that," he said. "The key is working with our freight partners to make sure we operate the service the way our customers deserve.''

The third-generation railroader pointed out that the two national freight railroads have other priorities and that juggling cargo and passenger trains is a complicated process.

Huberman may have had deals behind his back (like not coming out and saying that we are going to pull the NABIs), but at least he had enough business sense to say something other than "we can't do it other than how Kruesi did." There has to be some accountability.

[trainman8119]

After posting the above. I saw that the Tribune has an article, where some state legislators said about the same thing, and Orseno tried to brush them off.

Orseno also acknowledged that most of the delays and cancellations occurred on Metra lines operated by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway but rejected any suggestion that Metra has been "too easy" on the UP and BNSF.

Lawmakers asked whether financial penalties against the two freight railroads would lead to better passenger service, an idea Orseno said would be futile.

"When you talk about financial penalties, you can argue back and forth all day and it would cost you more arguing about that," he said. "The key is working with our freight partners to make sure we operate the service the way our customers deserve.''

The third-generation railroader pointed out that the two national freight railroads have other priorities and that juggling cargo and passenger trains is a complicated process.

Huberman may have had deals behind his back (like not coming out and saying that we are going to pull the NABIs), but at least he had enough business sense to say something other than "we can't do it other than how Kruesi did." There has to be some accountability.

I'll just say this....just because you want it, doesn't mean they'll play. Push them hard enough and they are liable to say keep it, make their money in freight and then what do you got ??? How are you going to run any service if they don't let you use the tracks ???

That whole nonsense with Orseno was classic political bullsh$$...showed how the politicians think they know what they are talking about without a clue. It was downright insulting. Also, although Clifford tried to make things open, Metra boys have their own ways to cover up delays and other things. I have seen delay reports in which all delays were on the contract carriers and yet none on Metra owned lines...trains I worked on that were late, reported either by paper and/or through dispatch, yet didn't make a delay report...REALLY ??? To MR...I don't want them near me....bigger problem, I don't want anyone near me lately.

[Busjack]

I'll just say this....just because you want it, doesn't mean they'll play. Push them hard enough and they are liable to say keep it, make their money in freight and then what do you got ??? How are you going to run any service if they don't let you use the tracks ???

....

Not even CN has gone that overboard. Especially when the federal government paid to redo their tracks on the NCS.

Somehow Metra crews run on Norfolk Southern owned property. The RTA has condemnation power (70 ILCS 3615/2.13), which it at least could use on the UP-N, which doesn't seem to have freight traffic, and again, is supposed to be rebuilt with taxpayer money (has that project ever restarted?) While there might be an issue of freight traffic on the other lines, somehow Metra can coordinate freight traffic on the Milw lines, which it owns.

The politicians yelling at Metra and micromanaging it would usually be uncalled for, but given the incompetent management shown there, something has to be done.

My only point was that (at least from the mid 20oughts), good business practices would require some sort of accountability, including fiscal accountability. Maybe the "old railroad guys" don't get that, but if they don't impose it on the UP, this kind of malfeasance is going to get worse. Like I said, not even CTA lets contractors get away with this kind of stuff, and CTA is certainly no paragon of management effectiveness.

And, in any event, as a railroad person, can you justify one person in remote dispatch deciding that a train that has left the station is going to run express and dump the local passengers on an open platform in -10 degree weather? Or was that all fiction?

[trainman8119]

Not even CN has gone that overboard. Especially when the federal government paid to redo their tracks on the NCS.

Somehow Metra crews run on Norfolk Southern owned property. The RTA has condemnation power (70 ILCS 3615/2.13), which it at least could use on the UP-N, which doesn't seem to have freight traffic, and again, is supposed to be rebuilt with taxpayer money (has that project ever restarted?) While there might be an issue of freight traffic on the other lines, somehow Metra can coordinate freight traffic on the Milw lines, which it owns.

The politicians yelling at Metra and micromanaging it would usually be uncalled for, but given the incompetent management shown there, something has to be done.

My only point was that (at least from the mid 20oughts), good business practices would require some sort of accountability, including fiscal accountability. Maybe the "old railroad guys" don't get that, but if they don't impose it on the UP, this kind of malfeasance is going to get worse. Like I said, not even CTA lets contractors get away with this kind of stuff, and CTA is certainly no paragon of management effectiveness.

And, in any event, as a railroad person, can you justify one person in remote dispatch deciding that a train that has left the station is going to run express and dump the local passengers on an open platform in -10 degree weather? Or was that all fiction?

I don't think it was a dispatcher who made that decision, probably a trainmaster or higher. It was definitely not fiction and was definitely extremely stupid, no doubt.

I will refer to something I said to someone a few days ago, and repeated by Mr. Know-it-all during the hearings. He stated that the perception is that Metra isn't like it used to be. If he said one thing that was right, that was it. But the main difference between then and now is the departed Phil Pagano. Yes, he was a crook. Yes he was a crusty old bastard. And contraer to popular belief, he hated his personnel. That all said, when it came to running Metra he was the best. He didn't take gruff from anyone and knew how to pull strings to get political money for projects. Never, but never was there any governmental interference. The system was basic, archaic as most like to say today, but it worked. The more government interference, the more automation, the more everyone gives in to everybody's whim, the worse it gets. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. Credit cards are costing them money, people in positions don't have a clue. I can give you all kinds of examples of decisions made day in and day out, yet no one seems to have a clue. DSO, Trainmaster, Road Foreman...never seem to see them. They make no decisions, they wait for instructions from across town (wasting time), and are not accountable for anything that happens. Yardmasters send good equipment to the yard while crews wait for equipment and leave late (happened 3 times in the last week). It's not always the weather, it's not always the equipment, it's definitely not the crews...it is those calling the shots. Now with all the hub bub, it'll probably get worse since 547 will want to make more decisions and in the meantime things will get delayed more waiting for someone to make a simple judgement that should be handled on a district level.

I have no love lost for these guys right now. I have gotten screwed over so much in my 14 years it makes me sick. That said, the crap put out by this so called congressional committee was down right discusting. They asked the question, got the answer, didn't like it and because it's an election year it continues to be news. The chances of the UP telling Metra to shove it are remote, but yet I wouldn't put it past them. Remember, they did throw Metra out of W. Chicago because they wanted the yard for intermodal traffic, only to be trumped by local government. Should the day come if they ever do though, remember where you heard about it first.

PS - The UP does run freight north of Lake Bluff into Wisconsin.

[Busjack]

Daily Herald says that it looks like Clifford will get a job, which will limit Metra's contingent liability on the severance deal, managing a bus system with 40 bus routes.

[MetroShadow]

Daily Herald says that it looks like Clifford will get a job, which will limit Metra's contingent liability on the severance deal, managing a bus system with 40 bus routes.

For what its worth, the scenery there is beautiful and the system isn't half bad. I wish him the best.

[ctrabs74]

From today's Tribune:

And I thought Pennsylvania, with the parade of elected pols getting hauled off to jail, was bad...

[Busjack]

From today's Tribune:

And I thought Pennsylvania, with the parade of elected pols getting hauled off to jail, was bad...

That was Fitgerald's job for about 10 years. He indicted Blago just in time for Durbin to tell Obama not to replace him.

The only thing that isn't surprising is that since Kim Jung Madigan* runs Illinois, an inspector general that apparently reports to him found that he didn't violate any state law that he made.

After stuff like the Blago and Pagano affairs, apparently everyone in Illinois got an inspector general, and either they are part of the coverup or try to blow the whistle to the press, but with no effect. This one was apparently the former.

The real question (which came up in another case were a former U.S. Attorney was appointed a special prosecutor) is whether Fitzgerald has anything in his file to turn over to the FBI, where his successor can prosecute someone. Illinois state's attorneys won't prosecute.

______________

^Update: I should have said the King of Id Madigan. Also note the first comment.