Grand/Cicero (MD-W/NCS)

[MetroShadow]

I've not heard much about this stop other than the fact that its being built, in addition to the changes that were made along both lines. I already know that most of the stations in Chicago (from Hanson Park westbound to Elmwood Park) were rehabbed and fixed.

Is this stop supposed to eliminate Cragin and Hermosa once its finished, or will it just be another dandy stop while those two get fixed?

[trainman8119]

The station is being built as part of the North Central expansion project. As with most Metra stations, it is taking umpteen months longer than it probably should. It was suppose to be finished this summer some time...I guess they won't make it. Anyway, the plan when it is done is to eliminate the stops at Hermosa and Cragin. Will it be a full time stop, unlike Hermosa, Cragin, or Hanson Park. Nobody has said for sure, but I would have to believe that it will, and thus you can add about 2 minutes schedule time to all trains that will be stopping, whether it be Milwaukee West or North Central. This project has been going on for well over a year.

[MetroShadow]

The station is being built as part of the North Central expansion project. As with most Metra stations, it is taking umpteen months longer than it probably should. It was suppose to be finished this summer some time...I guess they won't make it. Anyway, the plan when it is done is to eliminate the stops at Hermosa and Cragin. Will it be a full time stop, unlike Hermosa, Cragin, or Hanson Park. Nobody has said for sure, but I would have to believe that it will, and thus you can add about 2 minutes schedule time to all trains that will be stopping, whether it be Milwaukee West or North Central. This project has been going on for well over a year.

I'm putting my money on completion by the end of the year, because it doesn't look like they're going to be done, the stations nowhere near completion, and if they take out Hermosa and Cragin, and force everyone to Grand/Cicero, I believe it will deduct 2 minutes during rush hours (by guesstimation) off the travel time since the other two practically adds time inbound and outbound (try making a connection with an express MD-N at western, its next to impossible).

Which does bring this up...are NCS trains running on the center track always, or are they relegated to the same track as the MDW? Perhaps that would solve the "which line will this station serve" question.

[trainman8119]

I believe it will deduct 2 minutes during rush hours  

Which does bring this up...are NCS trains running on the center track always, or are they relegated to the same track as the MDW? Perhaps that would solve the "which line will this station serve" question.

You are absolutely correct. I forgot to deduct 4 minutes for the other 2 stations. As of right now, NCS trains are using the center track (2) only in rush hours and track 1 and 3 off peak. It is kind of odd that Cicero is being built with NCS money, because as it is now, River Grove and Western Ave have been taken out as stops on the off peak and some of the rush hour trains. And should more service be added, the plan is to have more express service.

A side note: Before packing it in "Uncle" Phil (Pagano) promised the people of Buffalo Grove and the like 4 more trains, and soon. In fact we were told that there would be 2 more work assignments fpr train crews added and that it was suppose to be around the end of May or early June. As of yet it has not happened and does not appear that it will in the foreseeable future. The reason...despite the fact that Metra "gave" them new upgraded signals and a complete 2nd track for most of the distance, the CN railroad is not letting Metra run the extra trains. In fact the reason the last Antioch train inbound at night uses the Fox Lake and C&M subdivisions (following the North line in from Prairie Crossing) is that the CN will not allow Metra to run the train back to Chicago south of Grayslake/Metra crossing point on the line. Pagano promised, without considering what was needed to make the line run. So, for now, all is in limbo at the mercy of the CN....a Canadian railroad interested in moving freight and very disinterested in passenger service !!!!!

[MetroShadow]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/161619,...metra06.article

This answers a lot of the questions addressed on this forum =p

[trainman8119]

I took a look at the revised schedules for the North Central and Milwaukee West and it makes me giggle. There is no real change with the new station opening. Hermosa and Cragin are eliminated and replaced with the Cicero ave stop. There is no new service at the station, so that means with the exception of a few morning and a few afternoon trains, the station is unused. No North Central trains will stop there.

The money for the new station at Cicero and the rehabbing at Hanson Park, Galewood, Mars, Mont Clare and Elmwood Park came out of the fund to expand the North Central Service (noted on the big red white and blue signs detailing the projects at each station). None of those stations get North Central trains. Now some of the rehab had to do with track inprovements, but yet not Antioch trains stop at these stations. It was believed in the ranks, that the Cicero station would end up getting Antioch trains, and that it was possible that Galewood and Mont Clare might too. But, obviously that is not in the cards.

The only true change on the North Line is what is now the 9:35pm departure becomes 9:45 pm. The real reason for this is that the train gets in from Grayslake at about 9:32 and never makes the turn on time. It is necessary to get the train out on the turn, because the crew of that train is on duty at 12:07 pm and would have to be off the train by 12:07 midnight or face hours of service violations. So they adjusted the schedule by 10 minutes to make it look good. Actually it is a good move for performance sake, but it adds 10-15 minutes to the day for the train crew on what is already a long tiresome and very busy day. One of the many reasons I went back to the Electric District to work.