Metra will be adjusting schedules on the three Union Pacific lines beginning Monday, Sept. 13. This is the second round of schedule adjustments to take effect as many riders begin to return to the office on a regular basis following the Labor Day holiday.
“We’ve been monitoring on-time performance as well as customer response since our mid-summer schedule changes,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski. “My Metra strives to be a service that responds to its customers’ need for reliability. This current round of changes is focused on on-time performance. We will continue to monitor performance across the Metra system and make further adjustments to schedules when necessary.”
Metra introduced a new pilot schedule on the UP North Line on July 12 that offers more off-peak options to meet the post-COVID needs of riders. That schedule was introduced with the expectation that rider feedback and performance analysis would help refine it and make it better.
- Off-peak trains 325 and 336 will be removed from the schedule. Trains 323, 327, 334 and 338 will make all stops to accommodate riders. The change is being made to improve operational reliability and to accommodate construction projects along the line.
- Outbound trains 315 and 319 and inbound Train 350 will add stops at Evanston stations in response to customer requests.
- Departure times for most outbound trains will be adjusted by 2 minutes.
- Inbound Train 6100 will now depart Barrington at 6:38 a.m. and arrive at Ogilvie Transportation Center (OTC) at 7:44 a.m. This train previously originated in Des Plaines. The change will provide commuters better inner zone transfer opportunities with Train 610.
- Inbound Train 6188 will depart Des Plaines 10 minutes later to improve operational performance.
- Inbound Train 626 will depart Crystal Lake 5 minutes later to improve operational performance.
- Outbound Train 6133 will depart OTC 10 minutes earlier to improve on-time reliability en route.
- Outbound Train 6211 will depart OTC 6 minutes later to improve on-time performance and reliability.
- Outbound Train 625 will adjust departure times at intermediate stations to reflect actual operation conditions.
- Late morning trains 277 and 444 will be removed from the schedule. Both trains were originally intended as a seasonal solution to provide more frequent off-peak service for summer events.
- Inbound train 42 will add a stop at Maywood to provide hourly service at the station.
- Outbound Train 15 will depart 5 minutes later to reduce congestion at OTC.
The new schedules can be viewed here. Customers are advised to review these new schedules for timetable and stopping pattern changes. All the changes are highlighted.
As the region recovers from the pandemic, Metra’s will use the following principles for its schedule additions and adjustments: provide consistent and frequent service throughout the day; create easily understandable and memorable service patterns; implement new express service when possible in the peak travel periods; explore reverse-commute and new ridership markets; promote regional equity and create transfer opportunities within Metra and with other transit services.