Now that Winter Storm Bella has subverted the popular mild-winter narrative, Chicagoland residents have finally begun taking their winter preparations seriously. They’re not the only ones. The Metra has also been upgraded for winter. In efforts to prevent weather-related delays, the transportation system has replaced outdated doors on thirty-five of its cars and added two dozen switch heaters and switch covers to the Rock Island, Milwaukee, and Metra Electric lines.
The efficiency of switch heaters will also improve, according to Metra. Along the Rock Island, Milwaukee, and Metra Electric lines, crews installed jets on heaters that direct the heat to where it’s needed. Metra also plans to utilize three cold-air jet blowers that blast cold air to clear snow and ice from rail yards (NBC Chicago).
Chicago residents will likely applaud these efforts. Since whipping winds and heavy precipitation events have been known to disrupt transportation in the past, anything city management can do to keep the trains running will be a boon.
While early forecasts of a mild winter may have lulled some Chicagoland residents into a false sense of complacency, those of us working in professional snow removal services knew better than to take these predictions at face value. For months, we’ve been gearing up for whatever winter brings. That’s why Winter Storm Bella didn’t catch us off guard. As soon as the weather warnings came in, we executed our plan to keep our customers clear of unwanted buildups of snow and ice.
Remember that we specialize in winter maintenance programs of all varieties, including snow hauling and relocation, emergency snow removal, sidewalk shoveling and plowing, as well as standard commercial snow and ice management. If you’re looking to contract with professional, experienced industry leaders, please contact us. We serve businesses across Illinois — from the northern suburbs of Chicago to the rural southern areas, and we look forward to adding you to the Brancato family.