Passenger Trains > Chicago SunTimes: Union Station falling down on commuters’ head

SunTimes columnist Neil Steinberg got a very close look at the conditions of Chicago Union Station this morning: http://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/steinberg-union-station-falling-down-on-commuters-heads/

I'm kind of surprised it hasn't happened sooner.

From Metra website:
"Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North, and North Central Service commuters, please be advised that tracks 9, 11, and 13 will be out of service this afternoon/evening on the north concourse at Chicago Union Station. Amtrak is working diligently to repair these tracks so normal train operation can resume. Commuters that enter Chicago Union Station from Madison Street be advised that only tracks 5, 7, and 15 will be accessible. Please listen to station announcements"

 

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From Metra website:
> "Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North, and North
> Central Service commuters, please be advised that
> tracks 9, 11, and 13 will be out of service this
> afternoon/evening on the north concourse at
> Chicago Union Station. Amtrak is working
> diligently to repair these tracks so normal train
> operation can resume. Commuters that enter Chicago
> Union Station from Madison Street be advised that
> only tracks 5, 7, and 15 will be accessible.
> Please listen to station announcements"
>
>  

30th St was worse than Union Station Chicago ...every steel beam had to either be cut out and replaced or had to have stiffeners added .. in addition all the drain piping had to be replaced since the water collecting in the overhead pipes on the platforms rusted all the steel and the electical conduit throughout the platform areas needed to be replaced and lastly the deteriorating areas on the concrete platforms were cut out and reconcreted ...it took a period of several years to have all the work to be  completed which was simulatnaeously 2 tracks at a time  ...

The work they are doing North of the Riverside Plaza building might have something to do with it.

---

> ...Several pounds of concrete, blackened by soot, fell from the ceiling. A piece struck Hilda Piell, 48, of Northbrook, atop the head, fracturing her skull. She let out a cry and doubled over in pain...
>...But my wife pointed out that she was bleeding, a lot. Drops of blood pattered down on the platform concrete. While Piell was tended to by the two women, my wife ran for the conductor...

> ...“The thing I found somewhat disturbing is the conductor came out, but there didn’t appear to be a whole lot of sense of urgency from anyone,” said Piell. “I didn’t see anyone rushing.”

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 30th St was worse than Union Station Chicago
> ...every steel beam had to either be cut out and
> replaced or had to have stiffeners added .. in
> addition all the drain piping had to be replaced
> since the water collecting in the overhead pipes
> on the platforms rusted all the steel and the
> electical conduit throughout the platform areas
> needed to be replaced and lastly the deteriorating
> areas on the concrete platforms were cut out and
> reconcreted ...it took a period of several years
> to have all the work to be  completed which was
> simulatnaeously 2 tracks at a time  ...

I suspect that when they finally get around to addressing the real issues at CUS, they will find most if not all the issues OOS noted above. And fixing it will be every bit as painful to those of us that use the station everyday.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/16 06:34 by kevink.

mp51w Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The work they are doing North of the Riverside
> Plaza building might have something to do with it.

Doubtful, that work is the replacement of the Adams St. viaduct over the tracks by thr Chicago DOT (plus a separate project that the owners of 222 S. Riverside also started at the same time).
The photos included in the article seem to indicate that this happened a block north by Monroe Street probably under 120 S. Riverside. Both street viaducts are structurally separate from the buildings and the structures that support the plazas over the tracks between the streets.

Metra Alert - Track #7, #9 & #11 Remain Out Of Service On The North Concourse Through September 14, 2016Milwaukee West, Milwaukee North and North Central Service customers, please be advised that tracks #7, #9 and #11 on the North Concourse remain out of service through this evening. Amtrak continues to work diligently so service to tracks #7, #9 and #11 can be restored. Commuters that enter or exit Chicago Union Station from Madison Street must utilize track #5, #13 or #15. Please listen to station announcements and check boarding monitors, or contact Metra station personnel for necessary platform changes. Metra will update this site before the evening rush hour.

Amtrak's response to Neil Steinberg's inquiries resulted in blaming the owner of the building above the tracks for lack of maintenance.  Relations with the air rights buildings have been plagued for years by complaints about the exhaust fans, which, under the terms of the original agreements, are the responsibility of the building owners.  Now we have another potential source of friction.  The insurance carriers for the office bulding in question will doubtless be involved, too.

Update for Thursday, 9/15:
Platform between Tracks 9 and 11 still closed. This morning there was a crew removing additional concrete from the area that is underneath the north edge of Monroe Street along the border of the street with the plaza to the north.
A couple of additional observations:

• This location and others at CUS see a lot of water infiltration when it rains. Water from street level cascades down to track level hours after it has stopped raining outside. This was a problem at Adams Street currently being reconstructed. It's also a problem on the south platforms.
• The concrete ceiling is black in most locations either from years of diesel exhaust or some other coating. That makes it difficult to spot potential problems from the platforms without a ladder, scaffolding or a lift to get close.