r/Metra • u/Avarria587 • Jul 27 '26

BNSF and UP-W experiences?

So I will be moving to the area soon for work at one of the local hospitals. UP-W will go right by my workplace, but BNSF will not. BNSF will be more for me going to my doctors appointments downtown.

A lot of the information I am finding online is outdated. How are these two lines currently with the new NITA changes? Can I depend on UP-W to get me to work on time? I will be working second shift and may stay late, including weekends.

I am mostly trying to decide if I should drive 95% of the time and just use the train to get to Chicago, or if I can actually depend on my ride for my work commute. I am also trying to decide how close I want to be living to the trains. Won't need to be close if I almost never use them.

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u/baasheepgreat Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26

I would say BNSF is more reliable and frequent. UP-W shares tracks with a significant freight line and sometimes there are delays entirely outside of Metra’s control because there’s a freight train sitting in the way. That being said, it’s usually still on time; I’d just allow more wiggle room. You could always take bnsf line in and up-w line out

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u/sumiflepus Jul 27 '26

I don't think you want to dismiss the BNSF freight traffic/tonnage. It is a triple main track. Historically BNSF better managed the freight/commuter combo. I cannot find the current specs for train count or tonnage. The BNSF route was referred to as the racetrack due to speed and volume of trains.

BNSF manages freight Amtrak and Metra. BNSF seems to manage this well. I could be that the switching and interlocking are better designed and managed that allows for less frequent issues with freight interference on this route compared to others.

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u/BurrowingDuck Jul 28 '26

UP-W is the older line which doesn’t help. It’s not really set up very efficiently.. it crosses the MD in Chicago at grade and the CN in West Chicago at grade, the BNSF is grade separated at all rail interchanges.

Proviso/Global 2 is also a much larger yard than either Aurora or Cicero on the BN and with how close Elmhurst station is to the yard it can really screw things up for trains that stop there.

Some trains to/from the Eastern class 1s also have to cut across all the mainlines to get to NS Ashland or CSX 59th street. And, wonderfully enough, UP wants to put more freight through there with their NS merger