With winter finally here, Metra is gearing up to prepare for the elements. Metra uses the GPS Center to communicate with customers and train conductors to prepare for the inevitable snow, ice, and cold. The GPS Center is Metra’s headquarters, located near the West Loop at 547 W. Jackson Blvd. It’s the center from which train announcements are made, website updates are prepared, email alerts are sent, and Tweets are posted.
“This GPS Center is the heart of our communications efforts,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Don Orseno said in a press release. “Of course, we strive to operate all of our trains so that they arrive and depart on time, but when they are behind schedule due to weather or other reasons, we also strive to communicate the delays in a timely manner.”
The winterization efforts undertaken each year to protect passengers involve a variety of measures that include, but are not limited to, countless inspections and testing of switch heaters, snow and ice shields, snow plows and cold air blowers, and a stockpile of over 1,400 tons of salt.