Metra officials still searching for North Central solution

Metra officials still searching for North Central solution
Originally published Tuesday, May 9, 2006

By Nadia Malik
Daily Herald Staff Writer

Buffalo Grove commuters who waited three months for some answers on a new Metra schedule will have to wait a little longer for some real change.
Metra officials, however, did, on Monday, outline a few possibilities for additional train service on the North Central Line.
Metra recently expanded service on the line from 10 to 20 trains, but many commuters who ride the service from Buffalo Grove said the times have become more inconvenient, especially during rush hour. There also have been complaints that the commute times have actually increased.
State Rep. Sid Mathias held a meeting in March to hear concerns and U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk held a forum Monday to outline the next steps.
Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano said he and Kirk will be meeting with Canadian National railroad officials to work out a deal. Canadian National owns the train tracks.
"We all have the same objectives in mind," he said.
Pagano said, for now, Metra is proposing additional trains during peak travel times in the morning and evening as well as a midmorning train.
Pagano said there have also be discussions with Canadian National officials over express trains that will hit some of the busier stations, including Vernon Hills and Buffalo Grove, and leave out stops such as Rosemont and Franklin Park, where, many times, no commuters are waiting.
Pagano said they also will try to include additional outbound trains in the morning and evening.
"There are several proposals on the table," he said.
He said a new schedule could be possible within 60 or 90 days, depending on how talks with Canadian National go.
"We all need to be reasonable (on a time frame)," he said. "We will work as hard as we can."
Buffalo Grove Trustee Jeff Berman, who rides the North Central Line and has been pushing since January for a change, said he's satisfied that Metra and Kirk are attempting to tackle the problem.
"I think it's a demonstrable, substantial step in the right direction," he said.
However, Berman said he would have been happier with a definite timetable to improve the problem.
"I'll have to take them at their word that they will move forward on this," he said.