June 8, 1984: The Commuter Rail Service Board meets for the first time.
July 12, 1985: The Board adopts the word “Metra” as a service mark.
August 1, 1985: The first locomotive painted with Metra’s blue and orange colors makes its debut. It is named after Kane County.
Winter 1985: First issue of the passenger newsletter, “On the Bi-Level,” is published.
May 1, 1987: Metra buys the Illinois Central Gulf’s electric line between Chicago and University Park, for $28 million. As part of the deal, Metra takes over the ICG’s Joliet to Chicago route, renaming it the Heritage Corridor.
Sept. 3, 1987: Metra completes the acquisition of the two Milwaukee District lines.
July 11, 1989: The words “Metropolitan Rail” are dropped from the Metra logo.
July 16, 1989: Service begins at the new Route 59 station on the BNSF Line. That station is by far Metra’s busiest.
April 12, 1990: Metra buys 30 new F40PHM-2 locomotives manufactured by the Electro-Motive Division of GM.
June 15, 1990: Smoking banned on all trains.
Jan. 17, 1992: Metra buys 173 new wheelchair accessible coaches from Morrison Knudsen. (The order was completed by Amerail.)
April 1992: LaSalle St. Station renovation completed.
April 13, 1992: Metra gets people home early following the infamous Loop flood (Metra’s HQ at 547 W. Jackson was flooded, too.)
May 28, 1993: Metra takes control of operations on the Norfolk Southern tracks and renames the line the SouthWest Service.
December 1994: The SouthWest Service is extended from 153rd St. to 179th St.
April 1995: Union Pacific Railroad buys Chicago & North Western and assumes control of its three lines in Chicago.
November 1995: metrarail.com (now metra.com) debuts.
August 18, 1996: Service begins on the North Central Service, the first new commuter route in Chicago in more than 70 years.
Oct. 15, 1997: The former Chicago & North Western terminal is renamed the Ogilvie Transportation Center after the former Illinois governor following a major reconstruction project.
April 3, 1998: Metra announces that every train on every line will now have at least one car that is accessible to people with disabilities.
Dec. 13, 2000: Metra orders 300 new cars from Nippon Sharyo, still the largest procurement of rail cars in Metra history.
Jan. 12, 2001: Metra orders 27 new MP36-3S locomotives from Motive Power Industries.
Sept. 11, 2001: Metra wins praise from riders for scrambling to get them home early following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Oct. 11, 2002: Metra orders 26 new Highliner cars for the Metra Electric Line.
Jan. 30, 2003: Metra announces plans to build the STAR Line. Two weeks later, it announces plans to build the SouthEast Service Line. Both lines remain on Metra’s long-range planning books but are back-burnered due to funding issues.
June 22, 2003: A fire completely destroys a wooden Metra Electric Line bridge in Riverdale. Metra erects a replacement in about a week.
Nov. 18, 2003: Metra removes turnstiles on the Metra Electric that had been installed by Illinois Central 40 years earlier.
Dec. 5, 2004: The renovation of Millennium Station is completed.
June 1, 2005: Bikes are allowed on (non-peak) trains for the first time.
Jan. 23, 2006: The UP West line is extended to La Fox and Geneva. A week later, North Central Service and SouthWest Service are extended.
January 2008: Springfield approves legislation that increases operating funding for public transit.
December 2008: Metra provides 86.8 million passenger trips in 2008, still its record year.
Dec. 3, 2009: MetraMarket opens in the Ogilvie Transportation Center.
August 2010: Metra orders 160 new Highliner cars for the Metra Electric Line from Nippon Sharyo.
June 3, 2011: Quiet Cars debut on all lines after a test on the Rock Island Line.
Dec. 27, 2012: AEDs are placed on all trains.
Oct. 23, 2014: The Englewood flyover, a $142 million bridge to ease congestion in the area, is completed.
Nov. 19, 2015: The Ventra app is launched.
Nov. 4. 2016: The Cubs World Series parade draws a single-day record of 469,462 riders.
November 2017: Metra adopts its first strategic plan, On Track to Excellence.
Feb. 20, 2019: Metra orders 15 remanufactured SD70MACH locomotives.
March 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic causes public transportation ridership to plummet around the world.
November 2020: Metra’s new passenger magazine, My Metra, debuts.
December 2020: Metra completes installation of the $415 million Positive Train Control safety system.
January 2021: Metra orders up to 500 modern new railcars from Alstom.
Feb. 15, 2022: Metra approves its second strategic plan, My Metra, Our Future.
January 2023: A new train-tracking website, metratracker.com, debuts.
Feb. 1, 2024: The biggest fare restructuring in Metra’s history takes effect, the same day it closes its last remaining ticket windows and allows bikes on all trains.
February 21, 2024: Metra orders new battery-powered trainsets from Stadler.