North Central Service

Last updated
Metra NCS.svg North Central Service
METX 118 at the O'Hare Transfer Station.jpg
A North Central Service train at O'Hare Transfer in 2010.
Overview
Owner Metra (Union Station to Franklin Park)
CN (Franklin Park to Antioch)
Termini
Stations18
Website metra.com/train-lines/ncs OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Service
Type Commuter rail
System Metra
Operator(s) Metra
Daily ridership5,800 (Avg. Weekday 2016) [1]
Ridership524,945 (2023)
History
Opened1886 (Soo Line), August 19, 1996 (Metra)
Technical
Line length52.9 mi (85.1 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
North Central Service North Central Service highlighted in purple
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Antioch Coach Yard
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52.8 mi
85 km
Antioch
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48.2 mi
77.6 km
Lake Villa
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45.9 mi
73.9 km
Round Lake Beach
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43.9 mi
70.7 km
Washington Street
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40.7 mi
65.5 km
Prairie Crossing
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36.9 mi
59.4 km
Mundelein
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CN Railway logo.svg
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33.0 mi
53.1 km
Vernon Hills
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31.6 mi
50.9 km
Prairie View
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29.5 mi
47.5 km
Buffalo Grove
BSicon HSTACC purple.svg
27.2 mi
43.8 km
Wheeling
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24.0 mi
38.6 km
Prospect Heights
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17.1 mi
27.5 km
O'Hare Transfer
Gnome-searchtool.svg ATS BSicon BUS3.svg
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Blue Arrow Blue Left 001.svgto O'Hare   Pictograms-nps-airport.svg I-190.svg I-190
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15.6 mi
25.1 km
Rosemont
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14.8 mi
23.8 km
Schiller Park
BSicon ACC purple.svg
13.0 mi
20.9 km
Belmont Avenue
BSicon CONT2 saffron.svg
BSicon STRc3 saffron.svg
BSicon STR purple.svg
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Metra MDW.svg to Big Timber Road
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11.4 mi
18.3 km
River Grove
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10.2 mi
16.4 km
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9.5 mi
15.3 km
BSicon pHST purple.svg
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9.1 mi
14.6 km
BSicon pHST purple.svg
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8.6 mi
13.8 km
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BSicon exPLT.svg
7.7 mi
12.4 km
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7.0 mi
11.3 km
BSicon lhSTR.svg
BSicon pHST purple.svg
BSicon exPLT.svg
6.5 mi
10.5 km
BSicon epHST purple.svg
BSicon lhSTR.svg
5.9 mi
9.5 km
BSicon STRc2 ochre.svg
BSicon STR purple.svg
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BSicon STR purple.svg
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Western Ave. coach yard
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2.9 mi
4.7 km
Western Avenue
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Arrow Blue UpperLeft 001.svg Metra UPW.svg to Elburn
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I-90.svgI-94.svg I-90  / I-94
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Chicago Transit Authority Logo.svg
Blue to O'Hare   Pictograms-nps-airport.svg
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Metra UPNW.svg
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Metra UPN.svg to Kenosha
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0
Chicago Union Station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Metra BNSF.svg to Aurora
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Metra HC.svg to Joliet
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Gnome-searchtool.svg Metra SWS.svg to Manhattan

Mileage [2]
source
Handicapped Accessible sign.svg All stations are accessible
 
Key
BSicon STRq purple.svg
BSicon STRq purple.svg
North Central Service
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Bypassed Metra MDW.svg stations
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Other Metra lines
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Metra Union Pacific lines
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Other freight lines
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CTA lines
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Airport

The North Central Service (NCS) is a Metra commuter rail line running from Union Station in downtown Chicago through northwestern and far northern suburbs to Antioch, Illinois. In December 2022, the public timetable shows seven weekday departures from Chicago. This line does not run at all on weekends or holidays. [3] While Metra does not explicitly refer to any of its eleven routes by colors, the NCS' timetable accents are lavender, a shade of purple. It is one of two Metra lines (the other being the Union Pacific West Line) that do not have a specific color for a fallen flag railroad that used to operate on the route. It is also the only Metra line to not honor anything.

Contents

Between Union Station and River Grove, the North Central Service shares tracks with the Milwaukee District West Line, but does not stop at any of the intermediate stations used by the MD-W between Western Avenue and River Grove. In Franklin Park, Illinois, this route turns north at a junction known as Tower B-12. The rest of the route operates on the Canadian National Railway's Waukesha Subdivision. Until 2020, a single daily inbound train, no. 120, made all stops along the North Central Service from Antioch to Washington Street, then switched to the Milwaukee District North Line's tracks at a diamond near Prairie Crossing station, made stops at Libertyville and Lake Forest, and then ran express to Union Station.

The CN assumed ownership of this route on September 7, 2001, when it absorbed the Wisconsin Central Railroad ("WC"). The WC operated on this route after it was purchased from the Soo Line Railroad in April 1987. Metra provides its own crews for this service (like with most routes) and operates under a trackage rights agreement with the CN.

Service began August 19, 1996. [4] As of 2023, this is the only new commuter line in the Metra system since its formation. Prior to the start of NCS, the last passenger service on this route ended in January 1965, when the Soo Line discontinued the overnight Chicago-Duluth Laker.

The North Central Service serves O'Hare International Airport, but with a limited number of trains. O'Hare has much more frequent service from the CTA Blue Line.

As of February 15, 2024, Metra operates 14 trains (seven in each direction) on the line on weekdays, with all trains running the full length of the route from Antioch to Union Station. One inbound train and one outbound train run express between Western Avenue and Wheeling.

Like the Heritage Corridor and SouthWest Service, the North Central Service is fully ADA-accessible.

No tickets are sold at any North Central Service stations outside Chicago. Passengers must purchase tickets either on the train or with Ventra.

Recent history

On January 30, 2006, four new stations on the North Central Service opened: Belmont Avenue in Franklin Park, Schiller Park, Rosemont, and Washington Street in Grayslake. [5] Service doubled from 10 to 20 trains per day with this change in the timetable, combined with double tracking of large portions of the line and the CN rerouting freight traffic south of Mundelein. [6]

On September 11, 2006, service expanded from 20 to 22 trains when Metra split one rush-hour local train in each direction into two express trains.

Notably, the line goes through Des Plaines but does not have a station there. The station in Des Plaines was on Thacker Street and closed in 1965. However, Des Plaines is currently serviced by the Union Pacific Northwest Line.

Metra has considered adding weekend service to the North Central Service ever since Saturday service was added to the SouthWest Service, and has also considered operating six trains between Chicago and Antioch, like the SouthWest Service.

On February 5, 2018, service was reduced from 22 to 20 trains when Metra combined two rush-hour express trains into one rush hour semi-express.

As of April 2021, NCS service is limited to rush hours in the peak direction onlytowards Chicago in the morning and towards Antioch in the afternoon. This makes the NCS one of 3 Metra lines (along with the Heritage Corridor and the SouthWest Service) to only offer peak service.

From August 12–30, 2024 during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Metra operated expanded NCS service. The regularly scheduled weekday trains were supplemented by 15 hourly round trips between O'Hare Transfer station and Union Station, making only intermediate stops at River Grove and Western Avenue. On weekends, there were 16 hourly round trips serving the same stations, with no service north of O'Hare Transfer. [7]

Ridership

Between 2014 and 2019, annual ridership declined 12.5% from 1,817,335 to 1,589,905. [8] [9] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership dropped to 340,682 passengers in 2020 and to 146,668 passengers in 2021. [10] [11] [12] As of October 2024, ridership is at 41% of its October 2019 total (compared to a 63% recovery rate system-wide). Similar to other lines, midday ridership is almost at pre-pandemic levels, with ridership during peak hours being proportionally less-recovered. [13]

500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024

Stations

CountyZoneLocationStationConnections and notes
Lake 4 Antioch Antioch Bus-logo.svg Western Transit: Antioch Service
Lake Villa Lake Villa
Round Lake Beach Round Lake Beach
Grayslake Washington Street
Libertyville Prairie Crossing Metramlogo.svg Metra:   Milwaukee District North
Mundelein Mundelein Bus-logo.svg Pace: 572, 574
Vernon Hills Vernon Hills
Prairie View Prairie View
Buffalo Grove Buffalo Grove Bus-logo.svg Pace: 234, 272, 626
Cook 3 Wheeling Wheeling Bus-logo.svg Pace: 234
Prospect Heights Prospect Heights Bus-logo.svg Pace: 221
2 Chicago O'Hare Transfer BSicon MONO.svg ATS to BSicon FLUG.svg O'Hare International Airport
Bus-logo.svg Pace: 250, 330
BSicon BUS3.svg Pace Pulse: 101 Dempster Line
Rosemont Rosemont Bus-logo.svg Pace: 330
Schiller Park Schiller Park
Franklin Park Belmont Avenue Bus-logo.svg Pace: 319
River Grove River Grove Metramlogo.svg Metra:   Milwaukee District West
Bus-logo.svg Pace: 307, 319, 331
Chicago Western Avenue Metramlogo.svg Metra:   Milwaukee District North,   Milwaukee District West
Bus-logo.svg CTA Bus: 49, X49, 65
1 Chicago Union Station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak (long-distance): California Zephyr , Cardinal , City of New Orleans , Empire Builder , Floridian , Lake Shore Limited , Southwest Chief , Texas Eagle
BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak (intercity): Blue Water , Borealis , Hiawatha , Illini and Saluki, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Lincoln Service , Pere Marquette , Wolverine
Metramlogo.svg Metra:   BNSF,   Heritage Corridor,   Milwaukee District North,   Milwaukee District West,   SouthWest Service
Chicago Transit Authority Logo.svg Chicago "L": Blue (at Clinton), Brown Orange Pink Purple (at Quincy)
Bus-logo.svg CTA Bus: 1, 7, J14, 19, 28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192
Bus-logo.svg Pace Bus: 755
BSicon BUS2.svg Amtrak Thruway: Chicago–Madison and Chicago–Rockford (Van Galder), Chicago–Louisville (Greyhound)

References

  1. "Operations and Ridership Data". Metra. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  2. 2020 State of the System Report (p. 42)
  3. "Fares effective July 15, 2018 (Fare Pilot Program)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-22.
  4. http://web.me.com/willvdv/chirailfan/mmnc.html Metra Railfan Tips - North Central Service
  5. "metrarail.com". Archived from the original on 2006-02-06. Retrieved 2006-02-02.
  6. "newstart.metrarail.com". Archived from the original on 2006-03-23. Retrieved 2006-02-02.
  7. "Metra to offer O'Hare shuttle trains during DNC | Metra".
  8. "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2018" (PDF). Metra. p. 4. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  9. "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2019" (PDF). Metra. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  10. "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2020" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on Apr 23, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  11. "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2021" (PDF).
  12. "RTAMS | Regional Transportation Authority Mapping and Statistics". rtams.org. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  13. "Ridership Reports, October 2024" (PDF). Metra.com. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
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