The BNI Train Mess

[bob]

I was on the first train that was caught. Lucked out and caught a cab at DG main.

While I was waiting around at DG, I was about 30 ft from the bag "o" acid. Ten years ago, someone would have picked up that bag and got it off the tracks and life would have went on. The whole thing was complete overkill and I am rather bitter about out.

[jenrik2714]

What happened?

[ilove204]

I'll tell you what happened...

Metra really dropped the ball on this one.

I was on a later train and they stopped at Hinsdale and said either get off here or go back to Chicago with the train.

They just left everyone with no way to get home

[ilove204]

I agree with Bob.

Total over kill.

DG police/fire etc., totally over reacted.

[bob]

jenrik2714 said:

What happened?

A bag of some kind of acid that is used in soap fell off a freight train at DG Main street.

[justvote]

Bob - if you were mad yesterday, you must be really peeved today. I heard on the radio that B-N trains were delayed once again, not because of the acid spill, but because there were no crews to run the trains. Apparently, their contract stipulates that they have to have so many hours of off-time before starting a new shift and since they worked "late into the night", they weren't allowed to come back to work early this morning. Doesn't Metra make provisions for this? Why can't they bring in a different crew? Can anyone verify that this is true? It just sounds so increduluous that Metra would severely inconvenience thousands of paying customers for such a lame reason.

[jenrik2714]

BNSF
Due to problems created by last nights hazardous material situation, BNSF trains are operating on a very modified schedule. Outbound trains will depart Chicago Union Station at 8:50 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Inbound trains #1260 at 8:20 a.m.; #1262 at 9:20 a.m. and # 1264 at 10:20 a.m. will operate.


Posted: 08:22 AM CDT

METRA/BNSF OUTBOUND TRAIN SERVICE TO AURORA --- PAGE 4
THERE WILL BE NO SERVICE OUT OF CHICAGO UNION STATION UNTIL 7:45 A.M. THE FIRST TRAIN THAT WILL BE DEPARTING CHICAGO UNION STATION, WILL BE TRAIN #1225 AT 7:45 A.M.


PLEASE STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO, NEWS BROADCAST AND THIS WEB SITE FOR ANY UPDATED INFORMATION ON BNSF TRAIN SCHEDULES FOR TODAY!!!!!

Posted: 04:51 AM CDT

METRA/BNSF MODIFIED SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006 - PAGE 3
TRAIN #1252 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 7:42 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1254 WILL DEPART BROOKFIELD AT 8:08 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1256 AND TRAIN #1258 CANCELLED.
TRAIN #1370 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 8:02 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.

OUTBOUND TRAIN SERVICE TO AURORA (DEPARTING CHICAGO UNION STATION):

TRAIN #1225 WILL DEPART CHICAGO UNION STATION AT 7:45 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.

Posted: 04:30 AM CDT

METRA/BNSF MODIFIED SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006 - PAGE 2
TRAIN #1228 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 6:47 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1230 WILL DEPART LISLE AT 7:11 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1232 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 6:21 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1234 CANCELLED.
TRAIN #1236 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 7:07 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1238 WILL DEPART FAIRVIEW AVE. AT 7:28 A.M., MAKING STOPS FROM WESTMONT TO LAGRANGE RD.
TRAIN #1240 WILL DEPART LISLE AT 7:31 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1242 WILL DEPARTAURORA AT 7:22 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1244 CANCELLED.
TRAIN #1246 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 7:03 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULED.
TRAIN #1248 CANCELLED.
TRAIN #1250 WILL DEPART LISLE AT 7:51 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE WITH ADDITIONAL STOPS FROM FAIRVIEW AVE. TO HINSDALE.


Posted: 04:12 AM CDT

METRA/BNSF MODIFIED TRAIN SERVICE FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2006
THE FOLLOWING INBOUNDS TRAINS WILL OPERATE OUT OF AURORA ON A MODIFIED SCHEDULE TODAY:

TRAIN #1200 & #1202 WILL BE COMBINED. THIS TRAIN WILL DEPART AURORA AT 4:40 A.M. AND MAKE ALL STOPS TO CHICAGO UNION STATION.
TRAIN #1204 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 5:25 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1206 & #1208 COMBINED. THIS TRAIN WILL DEPART AURORA AT 5:47 A.M. AND MAKE STOPS AT ROUTE 59 AND NAPERVILLE; WILL ASSUME #1206 STOPS FROM FAIRVIEW TO BERWYN.
TRAIN #1210 CANCELLED
TRAIN #1212 & #1214 COMBINED. THIS TRAIN WILL DEPART AURORA AT 6:07 A.M. AND MAKE STOPS BETWEEN ROUTE 59 THRU DOWNER GR. (MAIN ST.).
TRAIN #1216 & 1218 COMBINED; MAKING STOPS FROM FAIRVIEW AVE. THRU LAGRANGE RD.
TRAIN #1220 WILL DEPART AURORA AT 6:27 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1222 WILL DEPART BROOKFIELD AT 6:50 A.M. AND RUN ITS NORMAL SCHEDULE.
TRAIN #1224 & 1226 COMBINED. THIS TRAIN WILL DEPART LISLE AT 6:51 A.M., MAKING STOPS FROM BELMONT TO CONGRESS PARK.

[ilove204]

I don't know what is wrong with Metra today... I think they have their head up their a**.

This morning the train out of Naperville was late and for some reason we had to make unscheduled stops at Lisle, Belmont and DG.

Hardly anyone got on at these stops. Whats going on with them.

Another thing... Naperville is the second busiest station behind Union and there are hardly any express trains in the evening to the Naperville station.

No wonder Ladd is leaving.

[jenrik2714]

You might as well drive to Oakbrook and get on the bus to the Blue Line and go that route

[bob]

WooHoo I drove down this morning. I had an early meeting.

[wvhsparent]

Sorry to hear all the troubles. From a Law enforcement /public safety point of view.

(we love to mess up rush hour traffic!!! JUST KIDDING! )

we will always err on the side of caution. I would rather have several hundred pissed off people that 1 dead one

[ilove204]

Try 15,000 pissed off people!!!!!!!!

[wvhsparent]

ilove204 said:

Try 15,000 pissed off people!!!!!!!!

still better than 1 dead one.....I will agree that is was not handled as well as it could have been. That's what happens when multiple agencies are involved

[bob]

The thing that kills me is where is the common sense in this situation. Anything hazardous is not going to stored in a big brown paper bag.
When I saw it from thirty feet away, it looked like the 40lb bags of lime I use to unload.

[wvhsparent]

bob said:

The thing that kills me is where is the common sense in this situation. Anything hazardous is not going to stored in a big brown paper bag.
When I saw it from thirty feet away, it looked like the 40lb bags of lime I use to unload.

Unfortunately in today's climate common sense does not apply....If I was a bad guy and wanted to spread something bad...I would package it something thought to be harmless.


Although I got to thinking....of course this is armchair q-backing at it's best! ;D.
It looked like the bags were on one set of tracks......why didn't they (BNSF/Metra/PD/FD/) close the one set of tracks and walk the trains thru the affected area (5-10MPH) on the other 2? We do this all the time for the suicides by train....understandably the area covered this time was greater, but ithat probably would have worked.