Metra joined with officials from Cary and McHenry County today to dedicate the new station facility at Metra’s Cary Station on the Union Pacific North Line.
The $3.3 million project included a completely new 1,400-square-foot station building, replacing a structure built in 1942. A new 300-square-foot warming shelter on the station’s inbound platform was also part of the project. In addition to the interior spaces, both the new station building and the warming shelter offer covered outdoor waiting areas for passengers. The project also included the replacement of the boarding platforms.
“The new station building offers our passengers a much more attractive gateway to the Cary community. Relocating the depot to the inbound platform will better serve our existing riders and attract new ones by making the travel experience more comfortable and safe,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski.
“The railroad has always played an important part in the village throughout Cary’s history. With the construction of this beautiful new depot building, commuters now have a safer place along the inbound platform to enjoy Metra’s convenient commuter rail service,” said Cary Mayor Mark Kownick. “This project is another excellent example of Cary’s commitment to stretching our dollars through collaborations with other government agencies. We truly appreciate our partnership with Metra, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Illinois Department of Transportation on this exciting project.”
Nearly 900 passengers board at the Cary Station each weekday. The UP Northwest Line is Metra’s second busiest line providing 10.6 million rides in 2018.
The station project was funded with $2 million in federal capital dollars obtained by Metra for station improvements and $400,000 in Cary commuter parking lot funds. Metra funds also paid for the new platforms and the village paid for the relocation of utilities and fiber optic lines. Muller & Muller, Ltd. 2 Architects of Chicago designed the project and Chicago-based Accel Construction was the contractor.