CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Metra is going to court to try to get conductors to collect fares on Union Pacific trains.
Metra filed a breach of contract lawsuit Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court alleging Union Pacific’s “arbitrary and capricious” refusal to send conductors back into passenger cars to collect fares during the pandemic has damaged Metra’s bottom line, reputation and customer experience.
“We want the conductors back in the trains,” Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said Wednesday. “We felt it was time to get someone else involved, and that’s going to be the court system.”
Metra and Burlington Northern conductors went back to work in June after Illinois’ COVID stay-at-home order ended, walking through rail cars and collecting fares. But, the Union Pacific refused, citing COVID-19 safety concerns.
With conductors not collecting fares, essentially passengers can ride on U-P North, West, and Northwest lines for free; which is causing Metra to lose a million dollars a month, the transit company stated.
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In the lawsuit, Metra alleges Union Pacific caused “nearly a complete loss of fare revenue” from train lines that represent about 30 percent of Metra’s overall ridership.
"We strongly disagree with how Union Pacific Railroad has been operating commuter service," Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement. "We have given UP management numerous opportunities to provide the necessary level of service as on our other lines, but they have refused to address these issues in any meaningful way and have left us no recourse but to seek relief through the courts."
A U-P spokeswoman said conductors are on trains, just not walking through and interacting with riders due to safety concerns.
“The conductors are on the trains, but we are not ready to have conductors walking through the train and interacting with the public, due to safety concerns,” Union Pacific spokeswoman Kristen South said. “We are prepared to vigorously defend ourselves in court.”
In the lawsuit, Metra is seeking monetary damages and a permanent injunction requiring Union Pacific conductors to resume walking the train cars to collect fares and promote “orderly conduct.”