Metra is the commuter rail system serving the Chicago metropolitan area in the U.S. states of Illinois and Wisconsin, servicing Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in northeastern Illinois and the city of Kenosha in southeastern Wisconsin. It is one of three of the Regional Transportation Authority's service boards. With an average weekday ridership of 294,600 in 2015, Metra is the fourth-busiest commuter rail system in the United States, only behind New York City metropolitan area systems.[1][2] The Metra system has a total of 242 active stations spread out on 11 rail lines with 487.5 miles (784.6 km) of tracks.[1][3] As of March 2024[update], two new infill stations are currently under construction, those being Auburn Park on the Rock Island District and Peterson/Ridge on the Union Pacific North Line. The newest Metra station in Joliet, Illinois opened on April 11, 2018.[4]
In 1974, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) was created to provide stability in the commuter rail system, as most private commuter companies in the area were beginning to fail.[5] In 1984, RTA created the Commuter Rail Service Board to help with planning an organized commuter rail system in the Chicago area.[5] The board was renamed Metra in 1985. Through the creation of the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (NIRC), Metra's operating subsidiary and contracts with freight companies, Metra was able to open a network of commuter rail lines across the region.[5] The system's newest line, the North Central Service, opened on August 19, 1996.[6]
Seven of the system's eleven lines are owned or operated by the NIRC.[5] Operation of the BNSF Line and the Union Pacific North Line, Union Pacific Northwest Line, and the Union Pacific West Line are handled through purchase of service agreements (PSAs) between Metra, the BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad.[5] Under these agreements, the railroad companies provide the service using their own employees and either own or control the rights-of-way in addition to the majority of other facilities necessary, while Metra provides the rolling stock.[5] Additionally, Metra funds the portion of South Shore Line within Illinois because it shares tracks with the Metra Electric District.[5] Metra also operates Hegewisch station, although no Metra trains serve the station.[5]
The development of Chicago's commuter rail network resulted in a spoke–hub distribution paradigm and Metra's services radiate out from the Chicago Loop from four terminals: Ogilvie Transportation Center, Union Station, LaSalle Street Station, and Millennium Station.[5] However, all are within a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) radius of each other and easily accessible from one another, either by walking, cycling, driving, or the use of public transport.[7]
Key edit
| Station | The official name for the station |
|---|---|
| Lines | The line(s) that stop at the station |
| Rail connections | Any rail connections that can be made from the station |
| Location | The municipality or Chicago neighborhood in which the station is located |
| Fare zone | Identifies which of the four fare zones the station is in. The zones are numbered, with Zone 1 consisting of downtown Chicago.[8] |
| † | A terminal station |
|
Fully-accessible station[9] |
|
Partially-accessible station[a][9] |
Lines edit
| Line | Symbol | Stations | Inbound terminus | Outbound terminus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BNSF | 26 | Chicago Union Station | Aurora Transportation Center | |
| HC | 7 | Chicago Union Station | Joliet Transportation Center | |
| ME | 49 | Millennium Station | University Park, South Chicago (93rd Street), Blue Island | |
| MD-N | 22 | Chicago Union Station | Fox Lake | |
| MD-W | 22 | Chicago Union Station | Big Timber Road | |
| NCS | 18 | Chicago Union Station | Antioch | |
| RI | 26 | LaSalle Street Station | Joliet Transportation Center | |
| SWS | 13 | Chicago Union Station | Manhattan | |
| UP-N | 27 | Ogilvie Transportation Center | Kenosha | |
| UP-NW | 23 | Ogilvie Transportation Center | Harvard, McHenry | |
| UP-W | 19 | Ogilvie Transportation Center | Elburn |
Stations edit
Future stations edit
| Station | Lines | Rail connections | Location | Fare zone | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn Park
|
RI | — | Auburn Gresham, Chicago | 2 | Under construction[11] |
| Peterson/Ridge
|
UP-N | — | Edgewater, Chicago | 2 | Under construction[12] |
| Johnsburg † | UP-NW | — | Johnsburg | 4 | Proposed[13] |
| Prairie Grove | UP-NW | — | Prairie Grove | 4 | Proposed[13] |
| Ridgefield | UP-NW | — | Ridgefield | 4 | Proposed[13] |
| Kinzie–Fulton Market | MD-N MD-W NCS UP-W |  CTA: Green Pink (at Ashland)
|
West Town, Chicago | 2 | Proposed[14] |
| Huntley | Unnamed intercity service | — | Huntley | Proposed[15] | |
| Belvidere | Unnamed intercity service | — | Belvidere | Proposed[15] | |
| Rockford † | Unnamed intercity service | — | Rockford | Proposed[15] |
Former stations edit
Notes edit
- ^ At partially accessible stations, customers using mobility devices can access and use trains; however, the stations may not have other accessibility features (such as accessible bathrooms, Braille signage, visual display announcements).
References edit
- ^ a b "Ridership Reports – System Facts". Metra. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter and End-of-Year 2016" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ "Where do Metra trains run". Metra. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- ^ a b Fabbre, Alicia (April 11, 2018). "New train station opens for commuters in Joliet, ending a six-year wait". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Metra History". Metra. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
- ^ Hanna, Janan (August 20, 1996). "Latest Metra Route Opens New World To Suburbs". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Metra. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ^ "Metra's 2024 Fare changes". Metra. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ a b "Metra Accessible Station List" (PDF). Regional Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ "Metra Fare Schedule" (PDF). Metra. February 26, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Wisniewski, Mary (September 30, 2019). "New Metra station coming to Auburn Gresham neighborhood". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ "After 12 years, Metra holds station groundbreaking (updated)". Trains.com. November 2, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Go to 2040: Comprehensive Regional Plan". Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. 2010. p. 281. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ "Kinzie–Fulton Market: New Metra Station" (PDF). Chicago Department of Transportation. October 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c Neveau, James (July 6, 2023). "Metra to restore rail service between Rockford, Chicago for first time in 40 years". NBC Chicago. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ridership Trends - Annual Report 2017 (PDF) (Report). Metra Division of Strategic Capital Planning. February 2018. p. 32. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ Van Hattem, Matt (July 5, 2006). "Metra: Chicago's commuter railroad". Trains Magazine. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Metra to shut down BNSF's Clyde station". CS Trains. May 17, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ^ a b "Cragin Station". Chicago Rail Junctions. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ^ "RTA closing 13 rail stations". Chicago Tribune. March 9, 1984. p. 51. Retrieved December 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
