If you have something to ask us, email your question to mymetra@metrarr.com
I reside in Pontiac, Illinois and I ride the Rock Island line from Joliet to commute to the Loop. Amtrak, although comfortable with great food, rarely runs on time. It is an unreliable commuter option. I can set my clock with you guys. How feasible is it to extend your service to Bloomington/Normal, home to ISU? – Lawrence
Thanks for the question, and the compliment. Your question is not easy to answer. In general, we don't have enough capital funding to maintain the system we already have, let alone fund expansions, so it is not something we are contemplating. In addition, our operations are partly funded by the six counties of the Chicago area, and we can't spend the money we collect there outside the region. But the State of Illinois recently agreed to fund Metra service to Rockford, so who knows? Maybe if that goes well, the state will look at additional service beyond our six-county area. We will have to see.
When did Metra started allowing bikes on express trains? I don't know when, but I am now seeing them on trains around 4 or 5 in the evening when the train cars are full enough. I saw a disabled person move because some guy wanted the seats (because he was taking up three) for his bike. I have seen people with electric scooters blocking the walkway. There are trains with those cars with bike racks, but I never see them anymore. – Nicole
We opened all trains to bikes last February. This was partly due to feedback we received from the cycling community and the relatively small number of complaints we have heard from non-cyclists. To handle the influx, we’ve installed new bike racks on many cars. Cyclists can also still use the ADA area, but ADA passengers always have priority in that area so the person you saw move should not have had to. Likewise, bikes and scooters should not be blocking any walkways. The bike cars you reference are still in use, but those were very old cars and they are being phased out.
When will the SouthWest Service be double tracked from 75th Street/Rock Island Line to Ashburn? – Nelly
The SWS double tracking from the Rock Island to Ashburn is part of the CREATE 75th St. CIP, but it is currently slated in the last phase of that large, complex project. The CREATE Partners recently secured funding for an earlier phase of this project, but it may be several years until the final phase, including the SWS double-tracking, is funded and constructed.
I don’t know how to do it, but it should be done: the Union Pacific North Line should go all the way to Milwaukee. The train ends at Kenosha but the track keeps going north. The citizens of Kenosha want it, Lake County wants it and the promoters of Milwaukee Fest want it. Let’s save gas, clean the air and go north. – John
Thanks for the suggestion, but it’s not something Metra is leading the effort on for two reasons. First, Wisconsin is not part of the RTA, and unlike the six-county Chicago region it provides no funding to help subsidize the service, not even to Kenosha. (Kenosha was grandfathered in when the RTA was formed because we need to go there for the yard facility anyway.) Second, Metra has limited capital funding and must concentrate its resources on maintaining its existing system, not expansion projects.
I remember many years ago when I traveled the old CN&W (UP-W) into Chicago, when the train approached OTC, the conductor would come to the head car, open a little hatch and hand the engineer what appeared to be a small key. Can you explain what that key was for and if that process is still followed today? – Eugene
The key was for the cab signal system, and the engineer needed it in the locomotive or cab car, whichever was being used to operate the train (cab cars are the head cars on inbound trips, and they are equipped with operating controls for the engineer to operate the train from the front when the locomotive is pushing the train.) Cab signals were a safety system that CN&W installed; they were replaced by positive train control, so the keys
are no longer needed.
How much time would it take a nonstop train on UP-NW line (Metra’s longest line) to get to Ogilvie from Harvard? – Jake
It is 63.1 miles between the two stations, and there are multiple speed limits on multiple tracks throughout the subdivision. When you take them all into consideration, the trip would take between 57 and 64 minutes.
Why did you purchase rail cars for bicycles with stairs? Lower cars would work from Union and Ogilvie stations. – Susan
Those cars aren’t new—they were purchased, in some cases, many decades ago. What we are doing is taking old cars with stairs and creating spaces for bicycles, which is all we can do until we have procured cars with lower floors. But while we don’t currently have any cars with lower floors, because we haven’t had the money to buy new cars until recently, we have placed an order for some; the first cars from that order are expected in August 2025.
I wanted to know if Metra has any future plans to begin connecting suburbs from different lines. It would be so convenient to be able to take a train from West Chicago to Schaumburg or Schaumburg to Aurora, but since the lines don’t connect it’s obviously not an option. – Sam R.
We have planned for such a connection but lacked the funding to pursue it. And while our funding situation has improved substantially, we still don’t have money to do everything we need and want to do. Our priority, for now, remains maintaining and improving our existing system, not any expansion projects, for that reason.
I ride on the Quiet Car to accommodate my sensory needs. Towards the end of my morning commute, I will often move forward a car and stand in the aisle along with the other eager beavers aiming to get off first (and furthest forward) at Ogilvie. Is it considered bad train etiquette to move to the head car before exiting? – Sam M.
Back when we still put out our passenger newsletter, “On the Bi-Level,” your letter would have set off a lively
debate between the “stay seated until the train stops” group and the “crowd the aisles two stops earlier” group. Over the years there was no clear consensus on the right approach. We suspect some people would be annoyed by your moving up a car, while others would say no problem, and others wouldn’t even notice. In other words, the Court of Public Opinion would be split, and we have no appellate court.
For those portions of Metra’s lines that are elevated in Chicago, what are the railroad embankments made out of? Is it landfill? – C
Sand and gravel were used for the fill. Landfill was not used because organic material has poor structural qualities and tends to settle over time.
I usually take the same UP-North train every day to and from Ogilvie Transportation Center for work, but
I have noticed that each day the trains may arrive or leave from various different tracks. I was wondering if there is any rhyme or reason to which track is used for any given train, whether it be line or time of day? Also, does some central control choose the track or does the train engineer? – William
What drives that pattern on the UP lines is the fact that UP must rotate its equipment due to limited yard space. Some days a train might go straight to the yard after completing its run downtown, but the next day it might be used for another run on the same line or a different line to make way for another train to go to the yard. In addition, UP tries to route trains so they go through the fewest number of switches in its giant switching complex near Lake Street. The length of platform versus the length of train is also a factor. It’s all arranged by dispatchers; the engineer never picks the track.
When are the new rail cars expected to arrive? – Evan
We’re expecting the first car to be delivered in late 2025.
How many wheels (on average) are on a Metra train? – Ella
A locomotive has eight wheels (except our newest ones, which have 12), and all cars have eight wheels. The average Metra train consists of a locomotive and 6-7 cars, so that means the average train (with an eight-wheel locomotive) has 56 wheels (six-car train) or 64 wheels (seven-car train).
I was hoping you could provide some information on the new Peterson/Ridge Station. It was scheduled to open in 2023. We can’t wait to have access to Metra at the new stop! – Brian
Thanks for your patience. We expect that station to open any day this spring. (Note: The station opened May 20, 2024)
Why do Metra train cars have different sized windows? Do cars with smaller windows have different interiors? – Matt
The size of windows in our cars depends on when they were built, who built them and what the safety standards were at the time. Essentially, the bigger the windows are, the newer the car. The interiors are similar, but not identical; the oldest cars with the smallest windows have different seats and bathrooms (and no accessible seating area).
Is there any possibility or planning for a suburban railway ring going north-south that bypasses the city of Chicago while being able to go through the collar counties? While we know Pace exists, it is not as convenient for traveling long distances between the suburbs. Is it too late to look at the possibility? – Michael
We had proposed and studied such a route, which we named the STAR Line, back in the 2000s, ultimately completing a study that you can read about here. That study is more than a decade old. The STAR Line was never built because we never had the financial means to build it, and we still don’t, unfortunately.
Most railroad signs and signals are self-explanatory. However, I have never understood what the small signs with one, two, or three black horizontal bars mean. Can you please clarify? – Ronald
That’s a great question and we did not know the answer ourselves, so we asked our colleagues in our engineering department. They said the bars stand for incremental miles. One bar equals one-quarter mile, two is one-half mile and three is three-quarter mile. Whole miles are indicated by numbers.
I was riding through Rondout and saw what looked like a Metra caboose. I’ve seen it or one like it before at Western Ave., and I was curious how they came to be Metra’s and what they are used for. – Mack
The cabooses at Rondout and Western are used in work train service. When a work train, such as a string of flat cars full of ties, needs to move in reverse, the conductor will be on the caboose giving the engineer instructions.
What font does Metra use on its station signs? – K
The blue and white signs that were designed before 2010 used the Helvetica font. Around 2010, we started using Helvetica Bold Condensed on platform signs. This allowed us to fit slightly longer station names, and the team that redesigned our sign specifications in 2010 found it to be more legible — especially for customers aboard trains. In the past couple of years, we started transitioning to Roboto Bold Condensed on our redesigned platform signs, to match the train-tracking template on digital station displays. Roboto is digitally optimized and is more legible on screens.
I was just wondering, how come the UP-W line doesn’t extend to DeKalb? I think it would provide a great connection to and from NIU, and it would allow both residents of DeKalb and students to access Chicago and the suburbs easier. – Ben
In recent years Metra has concentrated its limited funding on maintaining our existing system, not on extensions, and especially not on extensions outside the six-county RTA region (which funds public transportation within those counties). You may have seen some recent news stories that planners with the city of DeKalb are exploring an extension of the line; they know that they will have to figure out how to cover the capital and operating costs associated with the extension. Their efforts are in the early stages.
What exactly do the signs labeled “½” indicate? Are they half-mile markers? If so, does a web map of Metra's mile and half-mile markers exist online? – Edward
Yes, those are half-mile markers. And we don’t have any map of them, sorry.
I understand that Metra hasn’t been able to purchase a large number of Tier 4 locomotives due to budgetary reasons and the lack of funding needed to replace all the F40s that are over 30 years old. Does Metra at all intend to pursue the funding it needs to purchase up to 120 new Tier 4 locos as opposed to buying used locomotives? Either through the state or through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021? – Cole
We are always pursuing new funding. But it may not be realistic to expect we could get a grant that would cover the purchase of 120 new Tier 4 locomotives, which would cost $960 million to $1.2 billion. That is roughly what we expect to get from the latest state public works program, and that is an amount to be spread out over several years. We can’t spend it all on locomotives because we have so many other needs that can’t be ignored.
One of the frequent annoyances on the Heritage Corridor line is at the various freight crossings north of Summit, especially during the AM rush. Don't the freight dispatchers have the Metra schedules to be able to hold freight trains behind stop signals close to the expected HC northbound and southbound crossings? Since Amtrak also uses the same routing and probably experiences delays as well, shouldn't the passenger railroads consider constructing a flyover in that area to avoid freight conflicts? – Ronald
You’re right that freight interference is a major issue on the tracks used by our Heritage Corridor trains and Amtrak. Yes, the freight railroads know our schedules and should hold their trains to allow for us to pass without interference, and for the most part they do. But the corridor is extremely busy and there are a variety of freight railroads involved. The good news is that there are flyovers planned for two of those crossings under the CREATE Program, which is an effort by all the region’s railroads and transportation departments to eliminate conflicts. However, that work is not yet funded.
Why are there so many trains that stop at Oak Park? The frequency of the stops seems completely disproportionate to the rest of the UP West line. Just curious. – Michael
There are more frequent stops at Oak Park because it is a transfer point to the CTA Green Line.
How are Metra's mileposts determined? Is it a measurement of distance from a downtown terminal to the location of an outlying station’s building/shelter? If not, what endpoint is used? – Edward
Every milepost is calculated by the distance from the downtown terminal. That is also how we determine our zones for fares – each line is broken up into 5-mile segments using the downtown terminal as the starting/end point.
I understand that Metra uses switch heaters during the winter to prevent ice from building up and clogging the switches, but in looking at one of Metra’s videos on YouTube regarding winter operations, the trains roll right over the switches while the flames are turned on. How in the world can Metra do this without the risk of causing the train to catch on fire? – Cole
Good question! Diesel fuel is, perhaps surprisingly, much less flammable than gasoline so there is no risk from the switch heaters. It requires a far higher temperature and air pressure to ignite, as opposed to gasoline, which needs merely a spark.
Are there plans to modify some train schedules to run shorter trains more often? I reverse commute on the UP-W and it seems really energy inefficient to pull so many train cars that are not used! In addition, having trains more often would really make my commute a lot simpler and enhance productivity. – Jahred
Making the trains shorter wouldn’t enable us to run more trains within the same budget. Each train, no matter how short, needs a locomotive and a crew, and paying for those are the main costs. And it is not so easy to cut cars from a train after the morning rush and then reattach them for the evening rush; we do it in some cases but in others it’s more efficient to leave them attached. For your reverse commute trips, we may not need all the cars going out, but we may need them all when the train turns around and comes back in. We did expand the UP-W schedule on Dec. 5.
We recognize the need for running more trains more often and we are trying our best to do so, but there are a lot of factors that may hold us back. Do we own the tracks? (We don’t own the tracks on most of our lines, including the three UP lines.) Do we dispatch the trains? (Again, on most lines, we don’t, even on two lines we own.) Is there freight traffic on the line? Can we afford it? Do we have to leave windows for track maintenance? And, a more recent issue, do we have the manpower?
When it comes to Metra cars, what’s the term for the area where the doors open? Is it “vestibule?” And does the “vestibule” connect the two “galleries” with each other? That is, what is the term for the areas where riders can sit in a Metra car? – Chris
You are correct that the area where the doors open is the “vestibule.” But we don’t really have a frequently used term for the two halves of the car. We don’t really refer to them as galleries, though that is as good a term as any. Most passengers probably refer to them as seating areas, or halves. Internally, we refer to them as the “A End” and the “B End.”
How do Metra's crossing gates and flashing signals work? I assume it uses an electric current in the rail.
– Edward
Grade crossing warning devices are activated by electrical current in the rails. The system sends alternating current through the rails to a permanent shunt located at a predetermined distance from the crossing. When a train is present, the wheels complete the circuit, bypassing the permanent shunt. As the train moves toward the crossing, the circuit becomes shorter. The system senses the movement and speed and activates the lights bells and gates a predetermined time before the train arrives at the crossing.
On March 25, a group of F40PH locomotives were sent to the Antioch Coach Yard for storage. What's gonna happen to them? – Ace
Some of those units might be used for our plan to replace diesel power with battery power, but the rest of them will be enjoying their retirement.
How long is a typical Metra train? Does it consist of eight total vehicles (one locomotive, one cab car, and six gallery coaches)? What is the total length of these vehicles in feet? – Edward
The smallest train we run consists of two cars with no locomotive. That’s on the Metra Electric, where all cars are self-propelled. Those cars are 85 feet long. The longest train we run is on the BNSF Line, consisting of 11 cars (at least one of them a cab car) and a locomotive. Those cars, including cab cars, are also 85 feet long. The locomotive is either 56 feet long or 70 feet long. The typical train is a locomotive and 6.4 cars. Let’s call it 6 to 7 cars.
Why are some of the city of Chicago's Metra stations elevated while others are at-grade? For instance, Jefferson Park is elevated, but Norwood Park is not. Edgebrook is at-grade while Forest Glen is not. – Edward
This is a hard one to answer. All of those stations were built long before Metra was ever created. We inherited them from a variety of freight railroads, and we did not inherit any historical archives that might contain the answer. We do know that most stations in Chicago are elevated because the city, starting in 1882, required railroads to raise their tracks to eliminate grade crossing conflicts, and with those raised tracks went raised stations. Perhaps that requirement did not extend to parts of the northwest side or ended before they got around to it. Or there were special circumstances. Or it was too costly. We don’t know.
I have noticed a trend developing amongst a small number of riders: sitting on the steps to the upper level. I would have thought that Metra would have a policy against this for both safety reasons and to not inconvenience other riders. Can you comment on this? – Sam
While we hope riders will not sit on the stairs if seats are available, we do not have a policy against it. However, conductors do have the discretion to ask people to move if they feel their presence on the steps is creating an unsafe condition.
I am inquiring about the following station names, which I have found to be quite unique. Can you provide any background to the reason why these stations are named what they are? Bryn Mawr, LaVergne, Cumberland, Grayland, and Burr Oak. – T.P.
Here’s what our research uncovered: Bryn Mawr is named for the surrounding neighborhood, which like other early South Shore neighborhoods (Cheltenham, Windsor Park, etc.) had names bestowed by Welsh, English and Irish laborers who worked on the railroad and in the steel mills during and after the Columbia Exposition of 1893. LaVergne was the name of the first community in the area; it later became part of Berwyn. Des Plaines developer H.M. Cornell gave the station and the neighborhood around it the name Cumberland in 1927, but the helpful folks at the Des Plaines History Center weren’t sure why. Grayland was the name of the town (created by subdividing a farm owned by John Gray) before it was annexed to Chicago in 1889. Burr Oak was likely named after the tree (Quercus macrocarpa) or after something named after the tree, we don’t know. Does anyone out there know?
Does Metra plan on doing electrification of lines similar to Caltrain? – Austin
We have no current plans to do that. Electrification is very expensive, well beyond our current capital budget.
Regarding your new car order (Spring 2021): With “two entrance ways on each side of the cars,” what’s the seating capacity? Would seem to be a bit less than current. – Daniel
The new cars basically have the same seating capacity as the current ones. For most cars, the news cars will seat 148 people vs. 145 on the current ones. For cab cars (those are the cars at one end of the train that have controls for the locomotive engineer on inbound trips), the new cars will have 134 versus 135 on the current cars. There will be more seats upstairs on the new cars because there won't be an open gallery between the lower and upper level.
Why do some rush hour trains run with two locomotives? – Jack
There could be a few reasons for that. Sometimes it's because one locomotive was having problems and another one was quickly added to the train to compensate. Sometimes it's because one was repaired or rehabbed but not yet tested; the second is there for backup until the first checks out. And sometimes it's because we need to move equipment into place for later service – for example, an evening outbound run might include two locomotives so they are both in position at the end of the line for the next morning's inbound service.
Why do trains on UP lines run on the left side?
The most plausible theory is that the lines originally had a single track, with the depots on the left side (as you head downtown). When a second track was added, it was easiest to put it to the right of the first track, since the depots were taking up space on the left side. But the first track remained the inbound track, because the depots were all on that side, and you want the sheltered waiting areas for inbound riders since most people waiting at the station are heading downtown.
How do the conductors know if the monthly tickets they are being shown by passengers on the train are real or a copy?
We have several features on our monthly passes designed to thwart fakes. We don’t detail what they are because don’t want counterfeiters to know. Our conductors, however, know what to look for.
Love the Ventra app. But why do we have to tap the screen?
It’s a security feature – if it changes color, we know the ticket is valid and not a reproduction.
Are passengers or conductors responsible for ensuring that Quiet Cars remain quiet?
Our policy on Quiet Cars is that they are largely peer enforced. If you encounter someone being loud in the Quiet Car, we encourage you to politely point out that they are in the Quiet Car and ask them to kindly tone it down. If the passenger continues to make noise, you should inform the conductor. While our goal is to keep cars as quiet as possible, passengers should not expect the car to be completely silent.
What is Metra’s policy on riders ‘saving seats’ on trains or blocking them with their belongings?
“Seat hog-ism” springs eternal. Our policy is first come, first served. If you encounter a seat hog, we recommend politely asking if you can sit.