Metra adding equipment in Lake Forest for better service

Some new infrastructure is set to be installed in Lake Forest allowing for the possibility of increased commuter rail service in the future.

While city officials are excited about the prospects of additional trains, some residents fear related problems could happen.

Metra has recently started installing crossover switches, just north of Conway Road on the Milwaukee District North Line, which stops at Lake Forest’s western stop. The work includes related changes to signals, Positive Train Control antennas and road crossing warning devices, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the summer, according to Metra spokesman Michael Gillis.

“The intention of the project is to increase fluidity of the current track layout and to facilitate better reverse-commute service,” Gillis explained in an email. “A crossover allows trains to switch between tracks.

“Constructing crossovers at Lake Forest will allow Metra to turn trains around at that location, creating an opportunity for better service in the morning and evening rush periods,” he said.

Gillis estimated the installations would cost $12.3 million, paid for entirely by Metra.

The possibility for additional crossovers received enthusiastic backing from local officials, including Lake Forest Mayor George Pandaleon. Overall, they would like to see additional reverse commute service for people who live in Chicago, but travel to the area for work.

“That solves a problem we have been dealing with forever,” Pandaleon said at the Feb. 6 City Council meeting.

The city has sought additional reverse commute service for some time. After advocating for years, Metra introduced the “Metra More” service in March 2019, putting new trains on the MD-North Line.

Originally intended to be a two-year pilot program, Metra More started off with an average increase of 550 trips a day in the fourth quarter of 2019, when the target for the first year was 300 new trips a day, according to Metra.

However, roughly a year after the debut of the additional reverse-commute service, the program was suspended amid the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today, overall Metra ridership continues to lag behind pre-pandemic levels, Gillis said. While employees are returning to the office, many are still working hybrid schedules, thus lowering demand for public transportation.

Gillis said there are no current plans to immediately increase service, but the leaves open the possibility to do so in the future.

“We are looking toward the future, and we are hoping ridership continues to climb. We will just have to see,” he said. “Our intention is to offer more off-peak service and spread out service during the day, and we realize our customers need more flexibility during the day for their schedules. That is one of our principles as we are restoring service.”

Currently, the MD-N line has reverse-commute service about once an hour, with additional service during rush hours, according to the Metra website.

While the prospect of additional reverse commutes has pleased many local officials, there is trepidation among some residents due to other train-related issues.

“We have concerns about the potential for additional freight traffic and the extraordinary noise generated by freight trains passing over these switches, which are near residential areas,” said JoAnn Desmond, the Lake Forest President of ACTION, (The Alliance to Control Train Impact on Our Neighborhoods).

ACTION representatives strongly opposed the possibility of a third train line near Lake Forest prior to the onset of the pandemic, and recently have resisted the possibility of merger between Canadian Pacific Railway and the Kansas City Southern, fearing longer freight lines in Lake County.

Moreover, Desmond called for the installation of crossover switches that would be quieter, conceding they would be more expensive.

“We would like to see mitigation for sound, and we want the technology for these crossovers that is the best practice and not the cheapest that creates the least amount of noise and disruption for residents,” she said.

However, Gillis said Metra intends to use standard crossover switches for the project.

Desmond said ACTION representatives have contacted city officials and state Sen. Julie Morrison about their concerns.

Morrison, who was one of several co-signers of a letter supporting the crossover installation, could not be reached for comment.

City officials maintain this project is a separate issue from the others.

“As has previously been expressed to the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Federal Surface Transportation Board, we maintain our strong opposition to any plan that would increase freight traffic or add tracks on railways within the City of Lake Forest,” the letter read.

“We are looking toward the future, and we are hoping ridership continues to climb. We will just have to see.” — Metra spokesman Michael Gillis