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Metra Board To Seek Answers On Recent Weather Delays

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Members of Metra's board are expected to have some blunt questions Friday for a top-level official from the railroad that operates three of its commuter lines about its performance in the storms and bitter cold since the first of the year.

Riders have complained about Union Pacific-operated trains that have run late, were severely overcrowded, and in one case, a train that put most of its riders off for a 40-minute wait in -15 cold Jan. 6.

The Union Pacific's Mark Davis said UP Regional Vice President David Connell will be carrying an apology.

"It was a rough start to 2014 and something we apologize to all of our customers on," he said.

Davis said Union Pacific is not waiting to make changes. He said railroad commuter service managers are working with their counterparts at Metra to determine what went wrong and why.

"We're going to determine what could have been done or, in the future, what can be done," he said.

Davis said that repairs are still being made around the clock to bilevels damaged by snow and ice.

Union Pacific operates commuter service on its North, Northwest and West lines under contract to Metra. Union Pacific owns all three lines.

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