Chicago Union Station is unique in that the tracks coming and going from the station both on the north and south ends are covered by high-rise buildings. The owners of Chicago Union Station over the years sold the “air rights” […]
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Diesel Exhaust and Chicago Union Station – Part 3 – High-Rises Trap Diesel Exhaust
Posted on October 10th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Did the Grade of Diesel Fuel Used by Railroads Matter?
Posted on September 25th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Throughout the entire 20th century, American railroads were allowed to kick off as much diesel exhaust as they wanted. So railroads and the locomotive manufacturers had little incentive to lessen diesel emissions. From World War II forward, they developed locomotive […]
Metra’s Fleet of Dirty Locomotives: What You Should Know
Posted on August 10th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Federal regulations pertaining to railroad locomotive emissions are based upon the years the locomotives were manufactured. The older locomotives, those manufactured before 2001, are allowed to the pollute the most, while the newest locomotives, those manufactured from 2015 forward, must […]
Diesel Exhaust and Chicago Union Station – Part 2 – Initial Air Quality Testing Results
Posted on July 25th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
In January of 2010, the Chicago Reporter first reported that commuters who ride passenger trains in Chicago are exposed to “really extreme levels” of cancer-causing diesel exhaust. Testing performed in 2009 by the Clean Air Task Force and commissioned by […]
Chicago Union Station – The Diesel Exhaust Problem
Posted on July 23rd, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen. Every day, over 100,000 people come and go from Chicago Union Station. And every day, those passengers and all the railroad workers who serve them are exposed to “huge levels” of diesel exhaust. Here […]