Chicago commuters in limbo as Union Pacific fights Metra’s bid for trackage rights

Thousands of Chicago-area commuters may be caught in a bureaucratic tug-of-war between Metra and Union Pacific, with both sides digging in over who controls access to the city’s vital commuter rail lines. With summer approaching and Metra’s current contract set to expire on June 30, regular riders are growing anxious about the potential fallout.

At the center of the dispute is Metra’s request for terminal trackage rights on Union Pacific lines, a move Metra says is necessary to maintain uninterrupted service. But Union Pacific fired back this week, asking the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to dismiss the request, citing a lack of jurisdiction.

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For many Chicagoans, the prospect of legal delays and stalled negotiations is more than just paperwork, it could mean disrupted commutes, missed shifts, and added stress in a city already struggling with transit challenges.

Union Pacific pushes for dismissal based on jurisdiction
In a motion filed today, May 23, Union Pacific argued that the STB cannot rule on Metra’s petition because Metra operates mostly within state lines. Citing a decades-old regulatory debate, UP contends Metra cannot now claim interstate status after previously maintaining it was not subject to such oversight under the now-defunct Interstate Commerce Commission.

Union Pacific notes that Metra serves one out-of-state station in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that accounts for just 0.01 per cent of its passengers, a figure it calls “de minimus.” As such, UP asserts that the STB should have no say over the operations on the fully intrastate UP Northwest and UP West lines.

“The request suffers a fatal jurisdictional defect,” the railroad claims in its filing, arguing that the dispute should be resolved through direct commercial negotiations rather than regulatory intervention.

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Metra’s push to protect service continuity
Metra initially submitted its trackage rights request in March, warning that without it, the expiration of the current access agreement could put continued service in jeopardy. The agency says it is seeking to ensure service stability for the millions of people who rely on commuter rail across the Chicago region.

Union Pacific, however, is pushing back hard. Included in its filing is a May 21 letter from UP’s CEO to Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski, stating, “We will not be stopping service to the millions of people who use Metra daily.” Still, the company maintains that commercial talks should determine the outcome, not legal rulings.

The situation escalated after UP publicly urged Metra to accept a new access offer, one it says is modeled after arrangements in Illinois, Colorado, and California. Metra has responded by saying it is currently reviewing the proposal.

STB dispute highlights bigger questions for regional rail
The back-and-forth has spotlighted larger questions about the governance and funding of regional commuter rail in major US cities. At a time when cities like Chicago are working to rebuild ridership and expand access post-pandemic, disputes like this can undermine public confidence in transit reliability.

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For daily riders, this isn’t just about contracts or regulatory jurisdiction, it’s about whether their train will still show up come July.

As both parties brace for further proceedings and possible negotiations, the uncertainty continues to mount. And while UP has stated it has no plans to stop service, the lack of a long-term agreement keeps commuters and local officials on edge.