Metra to paint station in Pullman rail-car colors

Metra will paint the 111th Street/Pullman Station warming house to resemble a classic Pullman rail car, the Chicago-area commuter railroad announced yesterday.

The Gertrude Emma rail car (top) and the proposed paint scheme for the 111th Street/Pullman warming house (bottom)
Photos: Metra

The warming house will be painted with the same colors as the Gertrude Emma, a Pullman Palace Car Co. rail car that was manufactured in Chicago's South Side neighborhood. The car was used on the Pennsylvania Limited between Chicago and New York in the late 19th and 20th centuries, Metra officials said.

The new paint design will come at no additional cost, with painting scheduled to start in early September, agency officials said. Metra's other improvements to the 111th Street Station will include replacing platform deck boards and the stairway to the platform.

The 111th Street Station rehabilitation is part of Metra's 2016 construction program, which includes $200 million in infrastructure improvements to 27 stations, 21 bridges and 24 grade crossings.