Metra kicks off in-house rehab project of Nippon Sharyo cars

Metra has launched a project to rehabilitate 302 Nippon Sharyo rail cars that were delivered to the Chicago commuter-rail agency from 2002 to 2008.

The project marks the next round of Metra's in-house car rehabilitation program, which calls for agency crews to rehab 35 per year until 2020 at the agency's 49th Street car shop.

In 2020, Metra will expand the shop so that capacity for the in-house rehab program will increase to 60 cars per year, agency officials said in a press release. The current cost to renovate the Nippon Sharyo cars is $700,000 each.

Earlier this month, Metra wrapped up the first round of the in-house rehab effort, which began in 2010 and cost $115 million. Metra crews renovated 176 cars manufactured by Amerail and delivered to the agency from 1995 to 1998.

"We are extremely proud of this program and the workers who have made it such a huge success," said Metra Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Don Orseno. "Not only does it produce like-new rail cars thanks to our highly skilled workers, but we keep jobs and investment right here in the Chicago area."

Meanwhile, at Metra's KYD facility, crews are renovating 41 cars built by Budd and delivered to the agency in 1974. Both rehab programs are expected to produce 43 renovated cars this year. Metra also has two separate locomotive programs, one of them in-house, that call for renovating about 18 units this year.

To learn more about Metra's in-house car rehab efforts at the 49th Street shop, read this May 2016 feature story in Progressive Railroading.