Metra files amended suit in ongoing spat with Union Pacific

Yesterday, Chicago commuter railroad Metra filed an amended lawsuit seeking relief confirming that Union Pacific Railroad cannot unilaterally force Metra to bear a significant increase in the compensation paid to the Class I.

The amended lawsuit also seeks to prohibit UP from excluding Metra from the UP lines that Metra trains use by insisting on commercially unreasonable pricing and terms that it knows Metra cannot accept, Metra officials said in a press release.

UP’s exclusion of Metra from the UP lines would breach UP’s obligation to keep taxpayer-funded improvements to the UP lines in service and available to be used for rail operations, they said. Metra’s goal throughout its negotiations with UP for taking over the provision of commuter service has been to negotiate an agreement with the freight railroad based on objective industry standards, while serving the public interest, they said.

Metra’s priorities remain to provide safe, reliable and high-quality service for riders, while being a good steward of taxpayer dollars, they added.

"We have also advised Union Pacific that Metra does not agree with the non-negotiated contract proposal that it wants to impose after June 30, 2025, and plans to continue operating on the UP lines after that date based on existing terms until a new agreement is reached," said Metra officials.

Last week, UP publicly asked Metra to accept a financial agreement based on market value for the use of UP rail lines. For over 10 years, Metra has paid rates below commercial market value, according to UP. For years, the railroad has tried to reach an agreement with Metra by submitting offers and seeking mediation through the Surface Transportation Board process, UP officials have said.

Most recently, UP offered to enter binding arbitration with Metra to settle the agreement, without success, they've said.