Union Pacific filed a lawsuit in federal court in September against Metra, claiming the Chicago-based commuter railroad owes $2.3 million in track fees. The suit comes just months after Metra officially took control of passenger operations on the UP-North, UP-Northwest, and UP-West routes. 

Although trains have long had Metra branding and equipment, UP crews have been operating passenger trains to Waukegan, Harvard/McHenry, and Elburn since 1995, when it took over the Chicago & North Western.

Since 2019, the freight railroad has been trying to avoid its obligation to provide passenger service itself, but the two sides have not been able to agree on how much Metra would pay to use UP’s tracks. When the previous contract expired earlier this year, Metra took control of the operation without settling the key payment detail. As a result, Metra is operating under the terms of a previous contract, but UP says that’s not sufficient. 

While the payment issue is pending in a federal court, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board has approved a request from Metra for trackage rights over UP lines to ensure service can continue regardless of what happens in the courtroom. 

—Justin Franz