Metra will be making changes to the weekday schedules on the Milwaukee District North and West, the North Central Service and the Metra Electric lines beginning Monday, Jan. 11. The updated schedules are intended to improve travel options and train operations across the Metra system.
Customers are advised to review the entire schedule for their line as departure times and stopping patterns may have been adjusted throughout. Metra will continue to reevaluate its schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic and make changes as warranted to enable social distancing and address current travel patterns. Major changes are outlined below.
Milwaukee District North Line
On weekdays, Metra will be changing departure times and stopping patterns, particularly in rush periods, to create new options, address service gaps, provide limited express service on some trains and improve operations along the route. There will be a net gain of two trains. In addition, the Ingleside and Long Lake station stops will be changed to flag stops on all inbound and outbound trains currently scheduled to stop at these stations. Flag stops require that passengers wishing to board at these stations are clearly visible on the train platform or that passengers wishing to disembark at these stations inform the train crew in advance. The new schedule can be viewed here.
Inbound trains:
- Train 2106 will depart Fox Lake 10 minutes earlier at 5:25 a.m.
- Train 2108 will depart Fox Lake 2 minutes earlier at 6:08 a.m. and become a skip-stop “limited express” train.
- A new Train 2110 will depart Fox Lake at 6:23 a.m. and stop at all stations skipped by Train 2108.
- Train 2116 will depart Fox Lake 5 minutes earlier at 6:48 a.m. and will follow the same skip-stop “limited express” pattern as Train 2108.
- Train 2118 will depart Fox Lake 7 minutes later at 7:05 a.m. and stop at all stations skipped by Train 2116.
- Train 2122 will no longer operate.
- Train 2146 will now depart Fox Lake 18 minutes earlier at 4:27 p.m. to allow operational improvements for meets with outbound trains.
- A new Train 2148 will depart Lake Forest at 5:39 p.m. and make all stops to Chicago Union Station (CUS).
- Train 2618 will be renumbered as Train 2152. Its schedule will remain the same.
Outbound trains:
- A new Train 2125 will depart CUS at 3:55 p.m., express from Western Avenue to Glenview and then make all stops to Fox Lake.
- Train 2127 will now terminate its run at Lake Forest.
- Train 2135 will no longer operate.
- Train 2139 will depart 5 minutes earlier at 5:20 p.m., express to Morton Grove and make all stops from Glenview to Fox Lake.
- To address a two-hour service gap, a new Train 2151 will depart CUS at 7:35 p.m. and make all stops to Fox Lake.
Milwaukee District West Line
On weekdays, Metra will be changing departure times and stopping patterns, particularly in rush periods, to create new options, address service gaps, provide limited express service on some trains and improve operations. Four trains will be added. In addition, the Grand/Cicero, Hanson Park, Mars, and Mannheim station stops will be changed to flag stops on all inbound and outbound trains currently scheduled to stop at these stations. Flag stops require that passengers wishing to board at these stations are clearly visible on the train platform or that passengers wishing to disembark at these stations inform the train crew in advance. The new schedule can be viewed here.
Inbound trains:
- Train 2210 will depart Big Timber at 6:20 a.m., operate as an express from Roselle to Western Avenue and arrive at CUS at 7:27 a.m.
- A new Train 2212 will depart Elgin/National Street at 6:34 a.m. and make all stops from Roselle to Chicago.
- Train 2222 will depart Big Timber at 7:20 a.m., operate as an express from Roselle to Western Avenue and arrive at CUS at 8:27 a.m.
- Train 2226 will depart Elgin/National Street 23 minutes earlier at 7:34 a.m. and make all stops from Roselle to Chicago.
- Train 2228 will now depart Big Timber 27 minutes earlier at 8:22 a.m.
- A new Train 2246 will address a two-hour service gap and will depart Big Timber at 5:22 p.m.
Outbound trains:
- Train 2235 will now operate as an express from Western Avenue to Roselle and then make all stops to Big Timber.
- Train 2237 will now operate as an express from Western Avenue to Bensenville, make all stops to Roselle and then operate as an express to Elgin arriving at Big Timber at 6:40 p.m.
- A new Train 2239 will depart CUS at 5:40 p.m. and then make all scheduled stops to Big Timber.
- A new Train 2249 will address a two-hour service gap. The train will depart CUS at 7:40 p.m., express from Western Avenue to Galewood and then make all stops, except for Mars and Mannheim, to Big Timber.
North Central Service
Schedule changes on the North Central Service will address operational issues. The new schedule can be viewed here.
Inbound trains:
- Train 102 will depart Antioch 17 minutes earlier at 5:38 a.m., making all stops to CUS.
- Train 108 will add a stop at Wheeling before operating as an express to Western and then CUS.
Outbound trains:
- Train 113 will be renamed Train 115 and will depart from CUS 27 minutes later, at 5:28 p.m. It will stop at Western, express to Wheeling and then make all stops to Antioch. Some customers had requested a later departure to accommodate their work schedules.
Metra Electric Line
The schedule changes on the Metra Electric Line will resolve operational issues created by the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC), a federally mandated safety system, on the Blue Island Branch as well as on the South Chicago Branch during the midday. The new schedule can be viewed here.
Blue Island Branch Line:
- Outbound Train 205 will depart Millennium Station at 7:09 a.m. (previously 7:03 a.m.)
- Inbound Train 214 will depart Blue Island at 8:06 a.m. (previously 8 a.m.)
- Outbound Train 237 will depart Millennium Station at 5:16 p.m. (previously 5:04 p.m.)
- Inbound Train 224 will depart Blue Island at 5:35 p.m. (previously 5:46 p.m.)
South Chicago Branch Line:
All outbound trains operating between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays will depart Millennium Station 10 minutes later than the current schedule.
- Train 315 will now depart at 8:50 a.m.
- Train 317 will now depart at 9:50 a.m.
- Train 319 will now depart at 10:50 a.m.
- Train 321 will now depart at 11:50 a.m.
- Train 323 will now depart at 12:50 p.m.
- Train 325 will now depart at 1:50 p.m.
- Train 327 will now depart at 2:50 p.m.