Durbin Meets With Metra CEO
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with Jim Derwinski, CEO of Metra to discuss surface transportation reauthorization priorities for the commuter rail provider and receive updates on its recent federal grant awards. During their meeting, Durbin and Metra leadership spoke about ongoing funding needs for station upgrades and bridge repairs.
“Many Illinoisans rely on Metra to commute in and out of Chicago. It’s critical that Metra has the support it needs to meet its demands and provide safe, reliable transportation for the region’s residents,” said Durbin. “I’ll continue to be a federal partner to Metra, advocating for the federal funding it needs to thrive.”
Photos of the meeting are available here.
In February, Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) helped Metra secure $100 million in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rail Vehicle Replacement Program to purchase 50 modern, ADA-accessible, multilevel railcars to replace 40-year-old cars. In December 2022, Durbin and Duckworth also helped Metra secure two All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) grants - $37.6 million to improve accessibility at the 59th/60th Street Station on the Metra Electric Line and $29 million to make the 95th Street-Chicago State University station fully ADA-accessible.
In January 2023, Durbin and Duckworth also helped Metra secure a $117 million Mega grant from DOT to replace 11 bridges with walkways, and pedestrian and traffic improvements, as well as replace four miles of track and two miles of retaining wall.
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