(rshsdepot) Barrington, IL

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

      Revamped Metra station opens doors

      Chicago Daily Herald
       April 17, 2003

      For the first time, Barrington rail commuters Wednesday had rest
rooms, an ATM and a larger, more attractive waiting area as they sipped
coffee and read newspapers.
      But the opening of the renovated Metra station in downtown Barrington
elicited a mixed response from the regular users.

      While most riders agreed that the $3.7 million project made the
station look much better than before, some questioned whether the 14-month
wait was justified.

      "For the wait, it's nothing spectacular," said Michael Moses, an
attorney from North Barrington who has commuted to Chicago from the
Barrington stop for 17 years.
      "The biggest thing that's ticked off most of us is the time it took,"
he added. "Underground Wacker (in Chicago) completed its renovation faster.
This seemed to be a side job."

      Tim Block of Hawthorn Woods also questioned the delay.

      "It seemed the work team left the project months ago," Block said. "In
Chicago, we build things at a much faster pace and in a much more complex
environment. This whole thing could have been done in six months to a year."

      Metra spokesman Tom Miller said the reason for the delay was a
contractual dispute between the Union Pacific railroad which owns the
property and the village of Barrington that leases it.

      But the delay affected only the starting time of the project, Miller
said. Once the construction started, the contractors met all their
deadlines.

      The Barrington depot serves 1,725 riders daily; the ninth busiest of
Metra's 224 Chicago area stations. On the Northwest Line, only Arlington
Heights and Palatine are busier.

      Other passengers were much more satisfied with the finished product
Wednesday morning.

      Wynne Ferro of Carpentersville took advantage of the indoor waiting
area in the chilly morning - a more pleasant environment than the stark
trailer that was the waiting area for more than a year, she said.

      Ferro also was among the first hundred customers to use the new Harris
Bank ATM in the station - and received a pair of tickets to Barrington's
Catlow Theater.

      Workers at the First Stop coffee stand were a day late in moving from
their trailer space into the new station, but were happy the long vigil had
ended.

      First Stop employee Dawn Boyk said she has worked at the station for
14 years and felt sorry for the passengers - especially children - who often
were looking for public rest rooms that weren't there.

      Some aspects of the project remain incomplete, including the
installation of electronic fare boxes and the completion of landscaping,
expected to be done next month.

      Barrington will hold a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. June 4, when the
project is expected to be entirely finished.

      A number of suburban commuter rail depots have been renovated or
rebuilt in the past few years; others are on the schedule.

      - Arlington Heights, 2000

      - Barrington, 2003

      - Elgin-Big Timber, 2001

      - Elgin-Chicago Street, 2001

      - Fox Lake, 2002

      - Palatine, 2001

      - Prospect Heights, 2002

      Ongoing or coming up:

      Crystal Lake; Crystal Lake-Pingree Road; Dee Road; Elgin- National
Street; Evanston; Schaumburg

      Source: Metra



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