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 243 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 163,100 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024. The estimated busiest day for Metra ridership occurred on November 4, 2016—the day of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory rally, with a record 460,000+ passengers.
The Union Pacific North Line (UP-N) is a Metra line in the Chicago metropolitan area. It runs between Ogilvie Transportation Center and Kenosha, Wisconsin; however, most trains terminate in Waukegan, Illinois. Although Metra owns the rolling stock, the trains are operated and dispatched by the Union Pacific Railroad. This line was previously operated by the Chicago & North Western Railway before its merger with the Union Pacific Railroad, and was called the Chicago and North Western Milwaukee Division and then the Chicago & North Western/North Line before the C&NW was absorbed by Union Pacific in April 1995. It is the only Metra line that travels outside Illinois.
The Union Pacific West Line (UP-W) is a Metra commuter rail line operated by Union Pacific Railroad in Chicago, Illinois and its western suburbs. Metra does not refer to its lines by particular colors, but the timetable accents for the Union Pacific West line are "Kate Shelley Rose" pink, honoring an Iowa woman who saved a Chicago & North Western Railway train from disaster in 1881. Green and yellow were already selected for the Union Pacific North Line and Union Pacific Northwest Line, respectively, so pink was chosen for this line. Therefore, the UP-W is the only Metra line that uses a color to honor a person instead of a fallen flag railroad. Until the late 1940s the line had a branch to Freeport, Illinois. It diverged from the main line at West Chicago and had stations at Elgin, Marengo, Belvidere, Rockford, Freeport, and other communities. The line was once known as the Chicago & Northwestern/West Line until UP took over the C&NW in 1995. All Metra trains on this line terminated at Geneva until 2006, when the line was extended to its present terminus in Elburn. The line runs as part of the Union Pacific Railroad's Geneva Subdivision.
The BNSF Line is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its western suburbs, running from Chicago Union Station to Aurora, Illinois through the Chicago Subdivision. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership of the 11 Metra lines. While Metra does not refer to its lines by particular colors, the BNSF line's color on Metra timetables is "Cascade Green," in honor of the Burlington Northern Railroad.
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. 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 that do not have a specific color for a fallen flag railroad that used to operate on the route.
The Milwaukee District North Line (MD-N) is a Metra commuter rail line in Chicago, Illinois and its northern suburbs, running from Union Station to Fox Lake. Although Metra does not refer to any of its lines by color, the timetable accents for the Milwaukee District North line are pale "Hiawatha Orange" in honor of the Milwaukee Road's Hiawatha passenger trains.
The Milwaukee District West Line (MD-W) is a Metra commuter rail line in Chicago, Illinois, and its western suburbs. Metra does not refer to any of its lines by a particular color, but the timetable accents for the Milwaukee District West line are dark "Arrow Yellow," honoring the Milwaukee Road's Arrow passenger train. Trains are dispatched from the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway's American headquarters in Minneapolis.
The Heritage Corridor (HC) is a Metra commuter rail line in Chicago, Illinois, and its southwestern suburbs, terminating in Joliet, Illinois. While Metra does not refer to its lines by colors, the Heritage Corridor appears on Metra timetables as "Alton Maroon," after the Alton Railroad, which ran trains on this route. The name Heritage Corridor refers to the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor. Established in 1984, it runs parallel to the line.
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.
Clybourn is a railroad station in Chicago serving Metra's Union Pacific North Line and Union Pacific Northwest Line. It is located at 2001 North Ashland Avenue and is the first station north of Ogilvie Transportation Center. Clybourn is located at Clybourn Junction. The Union Pacific North Line's Kenosha Subdivision begins here, separating from the Union Pacific Northwest Line's Harvard Subdivision. Clybourn Junction was named for its location near Clybourn Place, the home of the Clybourn family, early settlers in the Chicago area. Clybourn is situated between the Bucktown and DePaul neighborhoods, several miles north of downtown Chicago. In Metra's zone-based fare schedule, Clybourn is in zone 2. As of 2018, Clybourn is the 17th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,674 weekday boardings.
Harvard station is a Metra commuter rail station in Harvard, Illinois. It is the terminus of the Union Pacific Northwest Line. Harvard is the farthest Metra station from Chicago at 63.16 miles (101.65 km) from Chicago; the next furthest stop, Antioch on the North Central Service, is over 10 miles closer to Chicago at 52.9 miles (85.1 km). The station contains a parking lot operated by the City of Harvard. A coach yard is adjacent to the station and is used to store trains during weekends and overnight hours. Harvard was the only Metra station located in the M zone, until all fare zones beyond J were retired by Metra in 2018. Trains that traveled to Chicago passed through an entire fare zone to reach Woodstock. No stations were located in zone L. Originally, Hartland was the only station located in zone L, however, the stop was closed in 1984. Harvard was then located in fare zone J until February 2024, when the fare structure was simplified across the system. Harvard is now in Zone 4. It is the westernmost station of the Metra system; the next most westerly stop is Elburn on the Union Pacific West Line. Harvard is the last station to use more than one track, as further beyond this station, the UP line is single tracked until reaching Janesville, Wisconsin.
Crystal Lake is one of two stations on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The station is two stops away from the line's terminus at Harvard, and most of the trains on the Northwest Line only run as far as Crystal Lake. A large coach yard is adjacent to the station and has additional storage tracks to store Metra trains overnight, and on holidays and weekends. A Union Pacific maintenance facility and office, some storage tracks for local freight trains and maintenance of way equipment as well as a junction are also located just southeast of here. The branch line to McHenry splits off at this junction. The station is 43.3 miles (69.7 km) away from Ogilvie Transportation Center. Parking is available at the station. As of 2018, Crystal Lake is the 36th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 1,138 weekday boardings.
McHenry is a station on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line, located in McHenry, Illinois. The station is the terminus of the McHenry Branch of the Northwest Line; inbound trains operate as far as Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago. The station is also the only station on the McHenry Branch after it splits off at Pingree Road, although the line previously extended to Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Proposals exist to expand service on the line by adding stations in Prairie Grove and Johnsburg. It is the fifth furthest Metra Station from Chicago after Harvard, Antioch, Woodstock, and Kenosha, at 50.47 miles (81.22 km). Most Northwest Line trains operate along the Harvard branch to Harvard or Crystal Lake rather than the McHenry Branch. The station only has one track and one platform due to the low number of trains that serve the station. Two storage tracks are used to store two trains during overnight hours as well as weekends and holidays. The station is located at grade level. There is one grade crossing of a road at the station, which is placed under a Federal Railroad Administration horn quiet zone. As of 2018, McHenry is the 198th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 85 weekday boardings.
Woodstock is a commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line located in Woodstock, Illinois. The station is located on the Harvard branch of the Northwest Line and is the last stop before Harvard; inbound trains run as far as Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago. The station is located in fare zone 4. Woodstock is 51.7 miles (83.2 km) from Chicago via Metra. The station consists of two grade-level side platforms which serve two tracks; there is a rail crossover located just north of the station. As of 2018, Woodstock is the 149th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations on the Metra system, with an average of 273 weekday boardings.
Palatine station is a commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line in the village of Palatine, Illinois. It is officially located at 137 West Wood Street, however there are parking lots for the station scattered within its vicinity, such as those on Smith Street, Colfax Street, Brockway Street, Slade Street, Railroad Avenue, and Palatine Road. Palatine is the outermost station on the UP-NW line to have three tracks, serviced by two platforms. Inbound trains are serviced by the north side platform nearest the station, with outbound and center track express trains serviced by the south island platform. The station is 26.8 miles (43.1 km) from Ogilvie Transportation Center. Due to the Northwest Line's schedule, it is common to see an outbound train and an inbound train arriving at the same time, as Palatine is the halfway point between Ogilvie and Harvard. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Palatine is located in zone 4. As of 2018, Palatine is the seventh busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 2,482 weekday boardings.
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.
Waukegan is a railroad station in Waukegan, Illinois, served by Metra's Union Pacific North Line. It is officially located on 95 North Spring Street, is 36.0 miles (57.9 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. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Waukegan is in zone 4. As of 2018, Waukegan is the 67th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 764 weekday boardings.
Barrington is a station on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line located in Barrington, Illinois. The station is located at 201 South Spring Street in Barrington, and is 31.9 miles (51.3 km) from Ogilvie Transportation Center, the southern terminus of the Union Pacific Northwest Line. In Metra's zone-based fare structure, Barrington is located in Zone 4. As of 2018, Barrington is the 16th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations on the Metra system, with an average of 1,725 weekday boardings. Barrington has two tracks and two side platforms; it is the southernmost station on the Union Pacific Northwest Line without a third express track, which begins about a quarter mile southeast of the station near Baker Lake. It is also the last station outbound within Cook County. A station house where tickets may be purchased is on the inbound platform. Parking is available at the station.
Pingree Road is one of two commuter railroad stations on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line in the city of Crystal Lake, Illinois. The station is officially located at 570 Congress Parkway at Pingree Road, and is 41.7 miles (67.1 km) from Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Pingree Road is in zone 4. As of 2018, Pingree Road is the 73rd busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 707 weekday boardings.
