than it has been for a while after receiving a fresh coat
of white paint, part of a maintenance project being
done by Metra Railways at the request of village officials.
The Homewood train station tunnel smelled less like stale water and more like fresh paint Friday afternoon.
at the Homewood train station
Friday warning commuters
about wet paint.
That’s because Metra crews have begun working through a list of maintenance projects requested by village officials, and one task is a fresh coat of paint throughout the areas of Metra’s responsibility.
After a meeting with village officials Friday, Aug. 14, Metra representatives promised to deliver a list of projects the company could commit to in the short term along with a timeline for completion.
On Thursday the village received a list of 25 projects. Five tasks are expected to be completed by Aug. 31, one — replacing east side elevator lights with LEDs — is already completed, one has a goal of Oct. 5 and the rest should be done by Nov. 1, according to a document provided by Village Manager Jim Marino.
In addition to fresh paint, the list includes replacing damaged or deteriorating ceiling tiles, inspecting elevators for mold, replacing the lens cover on east side lights, replacing burnt out light bulbs and adding higher wattage bulbs, cleaning and painting windows, repairing roof leaks in the stairwell leading to the platform and repair platform
stucco.
The list also includes the replacement of stair treads and risers in the stairway from the tunnel to the platform.
Marino said the list appears to cover all the issues that village officials expected Metra to address at this time.
The station is slated for major renovations, and an engineering study will be commissioned by Metra in 2016. Renovation work could begin in 2017 at the earliest, but the project depends on the availability of funding, so the timeframe is uncertain. Homewood officials asked Metra to make the facility more presentable in the meantime.
A Metra official is expected to attend the Homewood Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday to brief the board and the community on the plans for the station. The board meets at 7:30 p.m. in the lower level of Village Hall, 2020 Chestnut Road.
Contact Eric Crump at [email protected]
Metra officials promise to address station maintenance issues (HF Chronicle, Aug. 15, 2015)
Village pushes for train station maintenance while long-term solutions sought (HF Chronicle, Aug. 12, 2015)
Damaged step to Metra platform repaired, but some residents still unsatisfied with condition of Homewood station tunnel (HF Chronicle, Aug. 6, 2015)
Homewood station renovations are on Metra’s to-do list (HF Chronicle, July 3, 2015)
