what's up with the helicopter over our heads?

There's a stalled freight train affecting the Glen Ellyn commuters going west.

per metra website: you're not boarding a train at glen ellyn til that freight is gone. go to collge ave. or lombard.

check the metra website

You can definitely board inbound in GE. I just spoke to my husband and he is on the train after being dropped off for the 7:17 on the North side of the tracks.

All GE grade crossings were blocked to vehicle traffic.

EDIT: Problem solved!!

Daily Herald's story: Train moved at 7:30

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GEmom2,

That article does not say the GE problem has been solved, only a similar one in Western Springs. The 7:00 train got me into work only about 7 minutes late.

The stalled train is eastbound, with the engine stopped just east of Park. It boggles my mind that the police and trains were not able to figure out any way to get pedestrians across the tracks. Would have been nice to post a cop or 2 at the Taylor street underpass as well.

Din's,

It requires lots of manpower and UP radios to get people across at a non grade crossing. You need people on UP radios a mile away. Since there are a couple curves in Glen Elly, probably further.

happy to say there WERE 2 ge officers at taylor at about 7:40 when i was heading south under the taylor ave. underpass. it was a real mess...at 7:25 there were east/northbound cars from the taylor underpass to park blvd.
over now. oh well.
does metra sent service problem text msgs to cell phones? that would be handy...

I arrived at the south train parking lot about 7:10 am - officer at Park & Crescent yelled across the tracks that we could either walk over to the Taylor underpass or try College or Lombard. Some of us walked over to Taylor, where I saw at least two officers directing traffic (that was probably at 7:20 am). I just called the village to say I thought the police did an excellent job of trying to direct traffic, provide information, and keep people safe. I boarded an eastbound train and arrived in Chicago at about 8:22 or so. It takes a lot of manpower and cooperation between trains and local police departments to get people across at grade level where there are no crossings - I've been commuting daily for 32 years on Metra. I was impressed they got as much done as quickly as they did.

Well, I guess we differ on our opinion as to the complexity involved.

Seems to me that if the eastbound train pulled into the station, they could then allow pedestrians to pass in front. All they would need to worry about is the southmost track - no curves in that direction. And I would assume the train people would be able to keep track of what trains were where on that single track.

But, it is always easier to enforce a bright line. Same kind of thinking that got rid of our mid-platform crossing.

Glad you were pleased and impressed. It was not a big enough deal for me to be upset. But as a private citizen I was able to figure out what was going on and make arrangements to use the Taylor tunnel in time to catch my normal train. The police, with whatever resources they possess, had not made it all the way over to the tunnel by 7:00.

I'm sure they have an explanation of why they were deployed elsewhere and unable to get to that intersection more quickly. Like I said, I got on my train, so I don't really care. But I sure didn't see the cops as going "above and beyond" this a.m.

Maybe they need more manpower?

One can also use Rt. 53 (albeit a bit longer) to travel either north or south. I have had to do this several times in prior years.

I think I'm confused - I saw where the engine of the stalled train was, and did not see a safe way to get around it - did you? I did see a ninny start to walk as though he would cross in front of the engine - and saw the officer wave him off.

What is a shame is that we don't have an underpass (either passenger or vehicle) like Elmhurst does. Personally, wouldn't mind seeing some of the CBD buildings torn down to make way for an two-lane (at least) underpass myself.

And, yes, I remember the mid-platform crossing - and very well remember the idiots who insisted on crossing in front of incoming trains. I particularly remember a middle-aged woman in a navy blue coat who almost got hit one morning, and how irate the conductor was - and how several commuters, including myself, pointed her out to the conductor when he asked about her. Seems to me the crossing was closed a few months later - I've always blamed that woman for it.

And, if it was Metra who closed it, I cannot blame Metra at all - after all, it's their personnel who suffer because people try to beat the trains. I still see people try to beat the trains at the Park street crossing - I always wish a cop were there handing out tickets.

And, yeah, with curves involved, three tracks, commuter and freight trains moving - I think it's a little more complex than one would think.

I saw the cops, they were nice to me and other commuters with me, and I was impressed.

Like I said - we disagree. I would have thought it not insurmountable for folk who wanted to walk the - what - 50' out and back again to get around the tracks. We're not exactly talking about climbing up and down cliffs, or breaking trail in a wilderness here. Having commuted as long as you have, I'm sure you recall the days when commuter trains used to stop short and wave pedestrians across in front of them.

You like the word ninny. Just a week or so ago some ninny slipped and fell on the tracks at Park, crossing with the gates down and a train bearing down on her. If we were to protect everyone against every way in which someone can figure out to be stupid, they would require that we wait for the trains in some off-site staging area, instead of standing alongside the tracks.

And if it really were a concern to manage pedestrian and vehicle traffic around the stations, we might occasionally see cops stationed to ticket the numerous pedestrian and vehicular violations that occur every single day. But that would require something more than posting a sign...

For the record, the police arrived at Taylor Avenue just before 7 a.m. Took them a few minutes to get parked and in position to direct traffic through the underpass.

quote:

Originally posted by NEBF:
For the record, the police arrived at Taylor Avenue just before 7 a.m. Took them a few minutes to get parked and in position to direct traffic through the underpass.

Okay. I looked at the car clock as we passed, and it was 6:55. I apologize for imprecisely saying 7:00 earlier.

I heard announcements from the station while sweeping snow/walking my dogs at 6:25, saw helicopters at 6:30, and heard a radio report at 6:37.

For the record, on the ride home yesterday I spoke with a guy who had taken a 6:20-ish train. He said he spoke with the operator of the in-station coffee shop, who said the freight was parked there at 4 a.m. This guy had heard about it on the radio at 6:00. When he arrived for his 6:20 train there was zero police presence at Park - he saw one squad drive up as his train pulled out of the station.