Metra is the primary commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. It is the fourth busiest commuter rail system in the United States by ridership and the largest and busiest commuter rail system outside the New York City metropolitan area. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 31,894,900, or about 152,400 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023. The estimated busiest day for Metra ridership occurred on November 4, 2016—the day of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory rally.
The Rock Island District (RI) is a Metra commuter rail line from Chicago, Illinois, southwest to Joliet. Metra does not refer to its lines by color, but the timetable accents for the Rock Island District line are "Rocket Red" in honor of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's Rocket passenger trains.
The Metra Electric District is an electrified commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra which connects Millennium Station, in downtown Chicago, with the city's southern suburbs. As of 2018, it is the fifth busiest of Metra's 11 lines, after the BNSF, UP-NW, UP-N, and UP-W Lines with nearly 7.7 million annual riders. While Metra does not explicitly refer to any of its lines by color, the timetable accents for the Metra Electric District are printed in bright "Panama orange" to reflect the line's origins with the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) and its Panama Limited passenger train. Apart from the spots where its tracks run parallel to other main lines, it is the only Metra line running entirely on dedicated passenger tracks, with no freight trains operating anywhere on the actual route itself. The line is the only one in the Metra system with more than one station in Downtown Chicago, the only line with no stations in fare zone 4, and also has the highest number of stations (49) of any Metra line.
LaSalle Street Station is a commuter rail terminal at 414 South LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. First used as a rail terminal in 1852, it was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968, and for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad until 1978, but now serves only Metra's Rock Island District. The present structure became the fifth station on the site when its predecessor was demolished in 1981 and replaced by the new station and the One Financial Place tower for the Chicago Stock Exchange. The Chicago Board of Trade Building, Willis Tower, and Harold Washington Library are nearby.
Elmhurst is a Metra commuter railroad station in downtown Elmhurst, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. It is served by the Union Pacific West Line, and lies 15.7 miles (25.3 km) from the eastern terminus. Trains go east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago and as far west as Elburn, Illinois. Travel time to Ogilvie ranges from 39 minutes on local trains to 26 minutes on express trains, as there are some trains that go non-stop between Elmhurst and Chicago. Evening peak trains make the run between Ogilvie and Elmhurst in as little as 24 minutes. As of 2018, Elmhurst is the fourth busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 2,540 weekday boardings. Unless otherwise announced, inbound trains use the north platform and outbound trains use the south platform.
Villa Park is a Metra commuter railroad station in Villa Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. It is served by the Union Pacific West Line and lies 17.8 miles (28.6 km) from the eastern terminus. Trains go east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago and as far west as Elburn, Illinois. Travel time to Ogilvie ranges from 43 minutes on local trains to 31 minutes on express trains, with faster times during peak hours. As of 2018, Villa Park is the 59th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 870 weekday boardings. Unless otherwise announced, inbound trains use the north platform and outbound trains use the south platform.
McCormick Place station is a commuter rail station in Chicago underneath McCormick Place, Chicago's main convention center, that serves the Metra Electric Line north to the Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago; and the South Shore Line to Gary and South Bend, Indiana.
55th–56th–57th Street is a commuter rail station in Hyde Park, Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago; and the South Shore Line to Gary and South Bend, Indiana. The South Shore Line calls the station 57th Street. It is the closest station to the Museum of Science and Industry, and also serves the residential neighborhood adjoining the University of Chicago. As of 2018, the station is the 39th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,133 weekday boardings.
63rd Street station is a commuter rail station within the city of Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and the Chicago neighborhood of South Chicago and the South Shore Line to Gary and South Bend, Indiana. Most South Shore Line trains do not stop at this station, except for one inbound train during the AM rush and two outbound trains during the PM rush on weekdays. As of 2018, the station is the 169th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 167 weekday boardings.
51st–53rd Street is a commuter rail station within the City of Chicago serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago. As of 2018, the station is the 78th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 671 weekday boardings. The station location, one of the oldest in the United States, has been in continuous use by commuters since 1856.
59th Street/University of Chicago is a railway station that serves the Metra Electric Line in Chicago, Illinois. The station is on 59th street, originally the University of Chicago's southern border, and the Midway Plaisance. Trains run between Millennium Station downtown and University Park, Blue Island, and the Chicago neighborhood of South Chicago. As of 2018, the station is the 63rd busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 812 weekday boardings. Before the 55th–56th–57th Street station to the immediate north was rebuilt into a major station in 2002, all express trains served 59th Street and the station had a staffed ticket window.
Homewood station is an Amtrak intercity and Metra commuter train station in Homewood, Illinois. It is also the location of the Homewood Railroad Park Museum.
18th Street station is a commuter rail station on the Near South Side of Chicago, at 18th Street near Calumet Avenue. It serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago. For many Metra Electric trains, this is a flag stop, and the train will only stop there if specifically requested by a passenger. As of 2018, 18th Street is the 226th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 23 weekday boardings.
27th Street station is a commuter rail station in the Douglas neighborhood of Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago. As of 2018, 27th Street is Metra's least-used station, with an average of 12 weekday boardings. 27th Street is a flag stop; trains will not stop unless a passenger is waiting on the platform or a passenger notifies a conductor.
Blue Island–Vermont Street is a Metra station in Blue Island, Illinois, servicing the Rock Island District and Metra Electric District Lines. On the Rock Island, it is 16.4 miles (26.4 km) from LaSalle Street Station. For the Metra Electric, it is the southern terminus of the Blue Island Branch, and is 18.9 miles (30.4 km) from Millennium Station.
The Jefferson Park Transit Center is an intermodal passenger transport hub in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It serves as a station for rail and also as a bus terminal. Jefferson Park Transit Center's railroad station is on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line, with the station located at 4963 North Milwaukee Avenue. Jefferson Park is 9.1 miles (14.6 km) away from Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago, the inbound terminus of the Union Pacific Northwest Line. Under Metra's zone-based fare system, Jefferson Park is in zone 2. As of 2018, Jefferson Park is the 97th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 510 weekday boardings.
Zion is a small commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific North Line located in Zion, Illinois. It is located on 2501 South Eden Road, near the intersection with Shiloh Boulevard. It is 42.1 miles (67.8 km) away from Ogilvie Transportation Center—the inbound terminus of the Union Pacific North Line, and also serves commuters who travel north to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Parking is available on both sides of the tracks, and one of the parking lots is along South Eden Road at Shiloh Boulevard. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Zion is in zone 4. As of 2018, Zion is the 185th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 110 weekday boardings.
Harvey is one of two Metra Electric commuter rail stations along the line's Main Branch in Harvey, Illinois. The station is located at Park Avenue and 154th Street, and is 20.0 miles (32.2 km) away from the northern terminus at Millennium Station. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Harvey is in zone 2. As of 2018, Harvey is the 102nd busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 471 weekday boardings.
83rd Street (Avalon Park) is an electrified commuter rail station along the Metra Electric Main Line in Chicago, Illinois. The station is located over 83rd Street near Ellis Avenue and is 10.4 miles (16.7 km) away from the northern terminus at Millennium Station. Despite the name of the station, it is actually located in Chatham, not the Avalon Park neighborhood for which it is named; however, it is only a short distance from Avalon Park. In Metra's zone-based fare system, 83rd Street-Avalon Park station is in zone 2. As of 2018, the station is the 209th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 56 weekday boardings. The station's rank is tied with the neighboring 87th Street (Woodruff) station.
The Joliet Transportation Center is a multimodal mass transit center linking passenger bus routes, two Metra commuter lines, and Amtrak passenger trains in the city of Joliet, Illinois. It has replaced Joliet Union Station as the commuter and passenger train station serving Joliet. Union Station ceased to provide train service in September 2014, and a temporary station opened. Groundbreaking for the new Joliet Transportation Center took place late in 2016, with construction beginning shortly afterward. After several delays, the station officially opened on April 11, 2018.
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