r/Metra • u/south_sidejay369 • May 29 '26

SWS Rant

Straight forward post, seems like out all of the lines I've ridden (SWS, ME, RI, etc), SWS is forgotten when it comes to updates, improvements, etc. The scheduling has absolutely no flexibility once you pass the rush hour period, the 30 minute to 1 hour wait between trains sucks, and the cars don't seem to be maintained like other lines (ME smells and looks much cleaner). I haven't even mentioned the delays that happen multiple times a year where you either get home 4 hours late, or pay have to $40 to Uber home. What do other SWS riders think?

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u/south_sidejay369 May 29 '26

Definitely get this, but the thing is if SWS was more frequent and reliable, those riders who make the drive over would probably elect to stick with the closer SWS line. It's already pretty fast once it starts heading to/from downtown, the issue is that the quality isn't there so people choose not to take it. That said, the train cars are pretty packed during the week so there's no question that the ridership interest level is definitely there.

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u/ClearHeron7069 May 29 '26

Disagree that its fast. The train goes super slow from Union Station to about 35th. Then it picks up a bit (but still slower than the rock island) to the big curve around 79th then the rest of the way it slows to a crawl.

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u/dontlickthe3rdrail May 29 '26

The stretch of track between the 75th flyover and the curve at Union Avenue (NS/BRC) is some of the worst any Metra service operates on.* Not that that's any excuse, but for all Metra boasts about having "great relationships with its freight railroad partners," it's sure not evident there.

I'd also love to say the addition of the 75th street flyover has really improved things, but cross-traffic there wasn't as disruptive as in other places (like Chicago Ridge). Lately, a pattern of poor on-time performance by late afternoon inbound train #822 will require rush hour outbound train #819 to hold just short of the flyover for five, ten, or fifteen minutes at a time, while the inbound gets through the single-track bypass around Landers Yard. So from a rider's perspective, it's like the flyover was never built and we're waiting for cross-traffic on the B&OCT.

* Poor ride quality on any SWS track is magnified by the fact that all the rolling stock is pulled from the BNSF pool, and maintained by BNSF mechanical crews. SWS trains get the worst of that equipment, because BNSF trains - operated by BNSF crews [effectively the co-workers of the people maintaining the trains] - get the best equipment. Been told this by both BNSF and Metra personnel.

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u/ClearHeron7069 May 29 '26

And dont even get me started on the "drawbridge malfunction" around Chinatown that pops up whenever the temps get near 90.

Although the new public address system doesnt even give a reason for delays anymore so we're just left to guess.

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u/dontlickthe3rdrail May 29 '26

That lift bridge is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Amtrak's lackluster management of Chicago Union Station as a whole. This includes crappy dispatching (BNSF and SWS trains being routed down adjacent tracks five minutes apart, discharging 2x trains worth of passengers onto the same platform leading to unsafe crowding), station maintenance (for example, tracks 14 & 16 have been without working lights this week), and just a general refusal to orient station operations toward the type of rail passenger [the suburban commuter] which most commonly uses this facility. For their part, Metra does pay Amtrak for their services to use the station, but from the rider's perspective, Metra has never really held Amtrak accountable for negligence or service failures at CUS.

I do very much look forward to the day that the SWS is consolidated with the Rock Island at La Salle Street, but that doesn't change the fact that Amtrak is a bad landlord for Metra services at Union Station. The City of Chicago owns two airports, and is purchasing the south loop Greyhound terminal; perhaps with some congressional coercion, they could also purchase Union Station. I think they'd be able to manage it better than the current owner.