Metra to renovate car shops

Metra’s board on March 22 unanimously approved $29.4 million for renovations to repair facilities on Chicago’s South Side.

The project will include expansion of its 49th Street Mechanical Coach Shop, including an upgrade of the facility’s loading dock, storage and wheel/truck rebuild area, and the addition of training facilities. The agency also plans improvements to its 47th Street Diesel Shop locomotive maintenance center.

Metra says the car shop renovations will enable it to rehab 60 cars from the current 35. Keeping its current fleet in a state of good repair has been a priority, as Metra been without a state capital plan for new purchases since 2009. Some of its equipment dates to the 1950s.

Agency officials have said they want to be able to overhaul cars every 12 to 14 years, instead of waiting as long as 20.

The two-year project is expected to start May 1.