Metra is the commuter rail system serving the Chicago metropolitan area in the U.S. states of Illinois and Wisconsin, servicing Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in northeastern Illinois and the city of Kenosha in southeastern Wisconsin. It is one of three of the Regional Transportation Authority's service boards. With an average weekday ridership of 294,600 in 2015, Metra is the fourth-busiest commuter rail system in the United States, only behind New York City metropolitan area systems. The Metra system has a total of 243 active stations spread out on 11 rail lines with of tracks. , an infill station, , is currently under construction on the Rock Island District. The newest Metra station, in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, opened on May 20, 2024.
In 1974, the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) was created to provide stability in the commuter rail system, as most private commuter companies in the area were beginning to fail. In 1984, RTA created the Commuter Rail Service Board to help with planning an organized commuter rail system in the Chicago area. The board was renamed Metra in 1985. Through the creation of the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation (NIRC), Metra's operating subsidiary and contracts with freight companies, Metra was able to open a network of commuter rail lines across the region. The system's newest line, the North Central Service, opened on August 19, 1996.
Ten of the system's eleven lines are owned or operated by the NIRC. Operation of the BNSF Line is handled through a purchase of service agreement (PSA) between Metra and the BNSF Railway. Under this agreement, the railroad company provides the service using its own employees and owns & controls the rights-of-way in addition to the majority of other facilities necessary, while Metra provides the rolling stock. Additionally, Metra funds the portion of South Shore Line within Illinois because it shares tracks with the Metra Electric District. Metra also operates Hegewisch station, although no Metra trains serve the station.
The development of Chicago's commuter rail network resulted in a spoke–hub distribution paradigm, and Metra's services radiate from four terminal stations in the Chicago Loop: Ogilvie Transportation Center, Union Station, LaSalle Street Station, and Millennium Station. However, all are within a radius of each other and easily accessible from one another, either by walking, cycling, driving, or the use of public transport.
Key Station The official name for the station Lines The line(s) that stop at the station Rail connections Any rail connections that can be made from the station Location The municipality or Chicago neighborhood in which the station is located Fare zone Identifies which of the four fare zones the station is in. The zones are numbered, with Zone 1 consisting of downtown Chicago. A terminal station Fully-accessible station Partially-accessible station
Lines + Metra commuter rail linesLineSymbolStationsInbound terminusOutbound terminus26Union StationAurora7Union StationJoliet49Millennium Station22Union Station22Union Station18Union Station26LaSalle Street StationJoliet13Union Station28Ogilvie (OTC)23Ogilvie (OTC), 19Ogilvie (OTC)
Stations
StationLinesMajor connectionsLocationFarezoneNear South Side, Chicago2Douglas, Chicago2 Bronzeville, Chicago2Kenwood, Chicago2 Hyde Park, Chicago2 Jackson Park, Chicago2University of Chicago2 Woodlawn, Chicago2Grand Crossing, Chicago2 South Shore, Chicago2 Chatham, Chicago2 South Shore, Chicago2 Tinley Park4Avalon Park, Chicago2 South Chicago, Chicago2 Chesterfield, Chicago2 South Chicago, Chicago2 Beverly, Chicago2Burnside, Chicago2 South Chicago, Chicago2 Beverly, Chicago2 Longwood Manor, Chicago2Roseland, Chicago2 Beverly, Chicago2 Rosemoor, Chicago2 Beverly, Chicago2 Washington Heights, Chicago2Pullman, Chicago2 Beverly, Chicago2Pullman, Chicago2 Morgan Park, Chicago2 Kensington, Chicago2 Morgan Park, Chicago2 Blue Island2Blue Island2 Orland Park4 Harvey2 Orland Park4 Orland Park4 Park Forest3 Antioch4 Arlington Heights3 Arlington Heights3 Ashburn, Chicago2Calumet Park2Aurora Aurora4 Barrington4 Bartlett4 Bellwood2 Downers Grove4 Franklin Park2 Bensenville3 Berkeley2 Berwyn2 Elgin4 Blue Island2 Blue Island2 Highland Park3 Brainerd, Chicago2 Brookfield2 South Shore, Chicago2 Buffalo Grove4Calumet Park2 East Hazel Crest2 Cary4 Evanston2 Chicago Ridge3Chicago Union Station Amtrak West Loop, Chicago1 Cicero2 Clarendon Hills3Bucktown, Chicago2 Wheaton4Brookfield3 Crystal Lake4 Des Plaines3 Evanston2 Park Ridge2 Deerfield4 Des Plaines3 Edgebrook, Chicago2 Edison Park, Chicago2 Elburn4 Elgin4 Elmhurst3 Elmwood Park2 Downers Grove3 Flossmoor3Forest Glen, Chicago2 Highwood4 Fox Lake4 Fox River Grove4 Franklin Park2 Galewood, Chicago2 Geneva4Gladstone Park, Chicago2 Glen Ellyn4 Glencoe3 AmtrakGlenview3 Golf3 Austin, Chicago2 Grayland, Chicago2 Grayslake4 North Chicago4Auburn Gresham, Chicago2University Village, Chicago2 Hanover Park4 Hanson Park, Chicago2 Berwyn2 Harvard4 Harvey2 Hazel Crest2 Logan Square, Chicago2 Hegewisch, Chicago3 Mokena4 Highland Park4 Hinsdale3 Highwood4 Hinsdale3 Brookfield2 AmtrakHomewood3Winnetka3Winnetka3 Ingleside4 Irving Park, Chicago2 Itasca3 Riverdale2Jefferson Park Jefferson Park, Chicago2Joliet AmtrakJoliet4East Garfield Park, Chicago2 Kenilworth3 Kenosha StreetcarKenosha, WI4 La Fox4 AmtrakLa Grange3 Lake Bluff4 Deerfield3 Lake Forest4 Lake Forest4 Lake Villa4 New Lenox4LaSalle Street Station Loop, Chicago1 Berwyn2 Lemont3 Libertyville4 Lisle4 Lockport4 Lombard3 Long Lake4 Downers Grove4 Evanston2 Manhattan4Franklin Park2 Mars, Chicago2Matteson3 Portage Park, Chicago2 Maywood2 McCormick Place, Chicago2 McHenry4 Medinah3 Melrose Park2 Midlothian2Millennium Station Millennium Park, Chicago1 Mokena4 Montclare, Chicago2 Morton Grove2 Mount Prospect3 Mundelein4 South Loop, Chicago1 AmtrakNaperville4 Elgin4 New Lenox4 North Chicago4 Northbrook3 Norwood Park, Chicago2 O'Hare, Chicago2 Oak Forest3 Oak Lawn3 Oak Park2Ogilvie Transportation Center , West Loop, Chicago1Olympia Fields3 Palatine4 Palos Heights3 Palos Park4 Park Ridge2 Edgewater, Chicago2 Crystal Lake4 Libertyville4 Libertyville4Blue Island2 Prairie View4 Prospect Heights3West Pullman, Chicago2 Ravenswood, Chicago2 Highland Park3 (Seasonal)Highland Park3 Richton Park3River Forest2 River Grove2Riverdale2 Riverside2 Robbins2 Rogers Park, Chicago2 Romeoville4 Roselle4 Rosemont2 Round Lake4 Round Lake Beach4 Aurora4 Schaumburg4 Schiller Park2 South Shore, Chicago2West Pullman, Chicago2West Pullman, Chicago2 La Grange3 South Shore, Chicago2 AmtrakSummit2 Glenview3 Tinley Park3 University Park3 , Loop, Chicago1 Vernon Hills4 Villa Park3 Grayslake4 Waukegan4 West Chicago4 Hinsdale3West Pullman, Chicago2 Lower West Side, Chicago2 West Town, Chicago2 Western Springs3 Westmont3 Wheaton4 Wheeling3 Willow Springs3 Wilmette2 Winfield4 Winnetka3 Winthrop Harbor4 Wood Dale3 Woodstock4 Worth3 Wrightwood, Chicago2 Zion4
Future stations StationLinesRail connectionsLocationFare zoneStatus Auburn Gresham, Chicago2Under constructionMarengoUnnamed intercity serviceMarengoUnder constructionBelvidereUnnamed intercity serviceBelvidereUnder constructionRockford Unnamed intercity serviceRockfordUnder constructionJohnsburg Johnsburg4ProposedPrairie GrovePrairie Grove4ProposedRidgefieldRidgefield4ProposedKinzie–Fulton Market West Town, Chicago2Proposed
Former stations StationLinesRailconnectionsLocationFarezoneClosedNotes5th StreetLockportGWoodlawn, ChicagoBStation platforms still exist. South Chicago, ChicagoBReplaced by 93rd Street/South Chicago.99th Street/LongwoodLongwood Manor, ChicagoCAbbott's PlatformNorth ChicagoGStation only listed on timetables as a note on some North Chicago stop times.Brighton Park, ChicagoCCiceroBClosed due to low ridership and close proximity to Cicero.Belmont Cragin, ChicagoBClosed along with Hermosa and replaced with Grand/Cicero.GivensMorgan Park, ChicagoCGlennCentral StickneyCClosed due to low ridership and difficulty to access the station.Halsted StreetBridgeport, ChicagoBHartlandHartlandLHermosa, ChicagoBClosed along with Cragin and replaced with Grand/Cicero.Joliet Union Station AmtrakJolietHReplaced by Joliet Gateway Center in 2018.RondoutGWestern AvenueAshburn, ChicagoB Wilson RoadLong LakeJ
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