Metra announced that it will enhance the rehabilitation of the 111th Street/Pullman Station by painting the warming house in Pullman colors to commemorate the neighborhood’s historic significance to the railroad industry.
As part of a station improvement project that began in June, Metra will paint the warming house to resemble the Gertrude Emma, a Pullman Palace Car Co. railcar that was manufactured in the South Side neighborhood for use on the Pennsylvania Ltd. between Chicago and New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Ongoing station improvements include replacement of the warming house, replacement of platform deck boards and removal of the unused portion of the platform, replacement of the stairway to the platform and repair or replacement of the roof over the stairway. In addition to painting, the project will include other cosmetic improvements.
Painting is expected to start in early September shortly before the project is finished.
The project is part of Metra’s 2016 construction program, which includes approximately $200 million in infrastructure improvements to 27 stations, 21 bridges and 24 road crossings, as well as the replacement of 120,000 rail ties to ensure safe and reliable service and maintain a state of good repair system wide.
Company officials said that this latest contract extension with Metrolinx consolidates the company’s position as the leading private provider of Operations and maintenance services in North America.
The new cars, model R262, will be funded by the MTA’s 2025-29 Capital Plan, which received a historic $68 billion in funding from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature in the FY26 Enacted State Budget.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
