November 27, 2018

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Meet Hilary and Shannon.  These women work at Metra’s 49th Street Coach Shop, the site of Metra’s main railcar rehabilitation program.  Hilary is an electrician, and Shannon is a journeyman carman.  Their job is to help maintain railcars in a state of good repair, improving both service and reliability for Metra’s riders.  It’s clear these women love what they do!

At the 49th Street shop, workers strip cars to their shell.  They remove flooring, seats, doors, windows, bathrooms, and heating and air conditioning systems.  The parts are then overhauled or upgraded.  When the work is complete, refurbished cars are tested for quality before receiving final approval to return to service.
 

Metra’s program of refurbishing cars in house is more cost-effective and expedient than outsourcing the work and can extend the life of a railcar by 10 to 14 years.