For those who are familiar with the Metra train system throughout the City of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, amenities don’t exactly come with the convenience that the Metra system offers for making an easier commute to and from the city. That’s all getting a big upgrade though, with nearly 200 train cars undergoing renovation to include things such as power outlets for passengers.

Suddenly the need for an extra battery charger to plug in on-the-go during the commute might have just gone through the roof in The Second City. Luckily, Batteryheads.com has got your back when it comes to charging your laptop and knocking out some work during the train ride.

Check out an excerpt from a Chicago Tribune article outlining the renovation project below:
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For many commuters, Metra trains are like mobile offices, so a dead battery in a laptop or iPhone can make for a frustrating, unproductive ride.

Solution: Install power outlets so passengers can use their personal electronic devices or recharge them.

The outlets are among several new features Metra is adding to a fleet of refurbished 1990s-era coach cars that the commuter line unveiled Tuesday. 

Other amenities include new toilets — they actually flush, as opposed to the old ones — upgraded seats, improved doors that retract like those on elevators and rebuilt air conditioning units. Add to the list new wheelchair lifts, message signs and intercoms to contact crews in emergencies.

And those new toilets will flush, instead of replicating the “port-a-potty-like” experience.

The upgraded seats will meet the latest safety regulations, and the new doors have sensitive edges that will retract when they come in contact with a person or object.

Each car will have 19 electrical outlets, but because of wiring needs, they will be available only on the lower level of each car, not the upper seating areas.

Of all the amenities detailed Tuesday, the power outlets stand to get the most attention, Metra officials said, adding that they are only for personal electronic devices.
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To read the remainder of the article, as well as see a video showcasing bits of the renovation project in action, head to the Chicago Tribune’s website here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-metra-cars-rehabbed-20120718,0,4969273.story