Due to declining on-site ticket sales at the Lake Forest Station on the Union Pacific North Line and the Villa Park Station on the UP West Line, the ticket offices at these stations will close at the end of business on July 26.
Ticket sales have declined at many Metra stations as passengers have switched to mobile purchasing. About 47 percent of Metra customers now purchase tickets via the Ventra App. Although the ticket offices are closing, passengers will continue to have access to the station facilities.
The Lake Forest Station sold an average of 1,049 tickets per month in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic drop in public transportation ridership. The Villa Park Station sold an average of 1,147 tickets per month in 2019. Those numbers put those stations at the bottom of the list of staffed stations for ticket sales.
The Villa Park Station was serving about 870 riders each weekday pre-COVID, while the Lake Forest Station was serving about 750 riders each weekday pre-COVID.
After July 26, customers boarding at each station can use cash to purchase a One-Way Ticket on board from a conductor at no extra cost. Tickets can always be purchased at any time at no extra cost through the free Ventra App, available in the App Store or Google Play.
In addition, tickets will continue to be sold by agents at the Ogilvie Transportation Center, the downtown terminal for all three UP lines. There are also ticket vending machines available at Ogilvie. Customers boarding at Ogilvie must purchase tickets in advance of boarding or be subject to a $5 surcharge for onboard purchases.