Metra’s groundbreaking train feature modern seats and a futuristic battery car.
Rail fans and Metra commuters got to explore North America’s first battery-powered train on Oct. 14. The train featured luggage racks, modern seats and a battery car that with “a narrow, brightly lit hallway similar to a spaceship interior from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’” David Struett writes for the Chicago Sun Times.
“The trains have a 70-mile capacity, are quieter and cause fewer ground vibrations than the diesel locomotives now used. That’s a benefit to the South Side homes close to the tracks, [Metra CEO Jim Derwinski] said. Metra is spending $234 million to purchase this train, and seven more expected to be delivered by the end of 2028, according to Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis,” The Chicago Sun Times reports.
Metra expects the train to go into service in March 2028, taking passengers from Rock Island to Blue Island, a 15-mile journey. In the future, the battery-powered trains’ smaller size could make them ideal for providing off-peak service.
Read the full story: Public gets first peek at Metra's future battery-powered trains, a North American first
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