Project Management Oversight (PMO) Capital Projects

CTA will continue investing in the rail car fleet maintenance program. This program is intended to correct critical defects and operational deficiencies discovered during inspections of rail cars. CTA’s scheduled maintenance program consists of planned work to maintain rail car performance. While major overhaul work is performed on a quarterly and mid-life cycle basis, additional focused maintenance work is required at certain intervals of the car’s life, outside of the overhaul cycle. When certain maintenance tasks are needed to repair or replace a component before it reaches its end of useful life and fails with an increased frequency, specific component campaign work is conducted.The major systems that must be maintained on CTA’s rail cars include the following:Propulsion, Safety, HVAC, Braking, Battery/Charging, Signage, Doors, Windows, Traction Power, RCA, Lighting, Automatic Train Control, Communication , Suspension, Car body/Structure. CTA’s Rail Terminal Shops are responsible for the maintenance that may result in replacement of a variety of components such as: traction motors, HVAC components and packages, lights, public address system components, trucks, wheels assemblies, hydraulic units, couplers, drawbars, and numerous other mechanical and electrical components. CTA’s Heavy Maintenance Shop is responsible for the rebuild/repair/manufacture of components for the railcar fleet such as wheel assemblies, truck assemblies, traction motors, air comfort units, electronic devices, control units, and associated devices including solid state and microprocessor-controlled units.

5000 Series Qtr. Overhaul - 714 Cars - The scope of this project is to provide for the Quarter?Life Overhaul on the 5000?Series rail cars. Schedule maintenance will include major component rebuilds and needed repairs to the car bodies. Additional work may include: replacing control groups, air conditioning units, truck assemblies, including traction motors, cables, batteries, brake calipers, axle assemblies, interior seat modification and other critical components based on condition assessment.

This project provides engineering and construction funds to modernize the A-20 Interlocking near Techny Road in Northbrook on the Milwaukee District North Line. The scope of work includes improving two grade crossings (Shermer and Techny Road), modernizing signals, and improving track between the Morton Grove Station and Deerfield Station. Under this project, work may include adding rail, switches, signals, crossovers, and renewal of track and signal circuits and cables. The project will implement a signal control system that is PTC compatible.

Regional ADA Paratransit Communication Technology and Transfer Locations - Projects include upgrades to the Trapeze software, TripCheck online booking and tracking, TripCheck Interactive Voice Response phone system, text/email notifications, and Ventra integration. In areas with frequent transfers, funding will be used to purchase land, build facilities, and provide amenities for riders. Pace has identified a location that is adjacent to the Northwest Transportation Center in Schaumburg that is planned to be the first of these transfer locations.

This job order will provide for the design/construction of two new elevators at the Montrose Blue Line Station. Further this project will fund replacement of canopies at Montrose station.

Rehabilitate Rail Stations - ASAP (AUSTIN): This project is part of CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP). The goal of ASAP is to create a vertically accessible rail system within 20 years. ASAP also adds accessibility features to vertically inaccessible stations such as sidewalks and crosswalks, power-assisted doors, accessible fare array, braille and signage, accessible Customer Assistance (CA) kiosks and staff toilet rooms, enhanced lighting as appropriate, and expanded platform clearances for wheelchair maneuverability.This project is to improve the vertical accessibility at the Lake Line Austin station (Austin station). The original street level station opened on April 15, 1899 as a section of the “Lake Street Elevated Railroad’s” surface level extension. The current stationhouse was rebuilt in 1962 as part of the project that moved the western end of the Lake Street line from a street level alignment to an abandoned strip of the parallel “Chicago and Northwestern Railway” embankment. The Lake Line began using this elevated right-of-way on the CN&W (today’s Union Pacific) embankment between Laramie and Harlem on Sunday, October 28, 1962. This station has not been upgraded since it was rebuilt. The Austin station has been identified as a station that is not vertically accessible for all customers and will require the installation of an elevator to serve this center platform configuration. Work on this project will also bring elements of the station up to current Chicago Building Code requirements and meet the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 130 Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems emergency egress requirements.

Metra was awarded CMAQ grants for the purchase and installation of bicycle parking facilities at stations across the system. Specific locations are to be determined

Blue Line O'Hare Branch Traction Power Improvements GTT - Project will include targeted track repairs to remove existing slow zones on the Congress Branch of the Blue Line. CTA has identified traction power voltage drop issues along the Blue Line. Scope of work will include but not limited to the following elements: New infill substations, infill wayside energy storage systems, infill tie houses, third rail replacement, addition of auxiliary negative rail; work will be performed by an outside contractor. In addition project will aslo provide for the replacement of ties, track fasteners, footwalks, and incidental signal and traction power; this part of work will be performed by CTA Field Forces.

This project involves the purchase of a digital video recording (DVR) system. The system will replace the 12-year old, obsolete system currently running on Metra’s rolling stock. The new system will allow for video recording of railroad signal aspects and incidents and includes inward-facing cameras and outward-facing, dual-lens cameras.

This project funds the continued rehabilitation of self-propelled electric cars used on the Metra Electric. The cars delivered between 2005 and 2007. This first rehabilitation may include, but is not limited to, repair of the car body structure, interior components, and overhaul of propulsion control systems.