Misplaced Pages

#644355

70-849: 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 line runs from Chicago Union Station through

140-634: A diamond near Prairie Crossing station, made stops at Libertyville and Lake Forest , and then ran express to Union Station. The CN assumed ownership of this route on September 7, 2001, when it absorbed the Wisconsin Central Railroad ("WC"). The WC operated on this route after it was purchased from the Soo Line Railroad in April 1987. Metra provides its own crews for this service (like with most routes) and operates under

210-471: A flat $ 3.75 fee. Several ticketing options exist for passengers. Riders may choose to purchase one-way tickets, day passes, day pass five-packs, weekend passes, or monthly passes. Metra allows some travelers to purchase reduced fare tickets or even ride for free. These reduced fare and free ride programs are administered by Metra and the RTA . Some pre-college students , youth , senior citizens , members of

280-554: A limited number of trains. O'Hare has much more frequent service from the CTA Blue Line . As of February 15, 2024, Metra operates 14 trains (seven in each direction) on the line on weekdays, with all trains running the full length of the route from Antioch to Union Station. One inbound train and one outbound train run express between Western Avenue and Wheeling. Like the Heritage Corridor and SouthWest Service ,

350-420: A public transportation infrastructure allowing for intermodal connections to local, regional, national and international transportation services. Parking lots are available adjacent to most suburban Metra stations for passengers connecting with their train by car . Most parking lots are operated by the municipality they are located in. Fees and fines are also assessed by the local municipality; however, parking

420-491: A public utility. The RTA's creation was a result of the anticipated withdrawal of commuter service operated and owned by various private railroad companies in the 1970s. In a 1983 reorganization, the RTA placed commuter rail under a newly formed Commuter Rail Division, which branded itself as Metra in 1985. Freight rail companies still operate four of Metra's routes under purchase-of-service agreements. Metra owns all rolling stock and

490-774: A short walking distance of Union Station as well. A number of suburban Metra stations are also shared with Amtrak as well. The South Shore Line , an interurban line connecting Chicago with the Indiana suburbs and South Bend , originates at Millennium Station and operates along much of the Chicago portion of the Electric District line, as far south as 63rd Street . Per a longstanding noncompete agreement, eastbound South Shore trains only stop at shared Electric District stations to board passengers, and westbound South Shore trains only stop to discharge passengers. In regards to

560-820: A single identity to the many infrastructure components serviced by the Regional Transportation Authority's commuter rail system. However, the system is still legally known as the Commuter Rail Division of the RTA. Today, Metra's operating arm, the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, operates seven Metra owned routes. Four other routes continue to be operated by Union Pacific (formerly Chicago & North Western ) and BNSF (formerly Burlington Northern ) under contract to Metra. Service throughout

630-743: A top priority and dedicate a significant amount of resources to combat these dangers. Starting in the early summer of 2013, Metra has announced plans to up police patrols on to the seven lines the agency operates: the Milwaukee Districts North and West, the North Central Service, the Heritage Corridor, South West Service, Rock Island, and Electric District. The police patrols will not be on the BNSF and Union Pacific train lines because those lines are operated by

700-610: A trackage rights agreement with the CN. Service began August 19, 1996. As of 2023 , this is the only new commuter line in the Metra system since its formation. Prior to the start of NCS, the last passenger service on this route ended in January 1965, when the Soo Line discontinued the overnight Chicago-Duluth Laker. The North Central Service serves O'Hare International Airport , but with

770-628: Is currently serviced by the Union Pacific Northwest Line . Metra has considered adding weekend service to the North Central Service ever since Saturday service was added to the SouthWest Service, and has also considered operating six trains between Chicago and Antioch, like the SouthWest Service. On February 5, 2018 service was reduced from 22 to 20 trains when Metra combined two rush-hour express trains into one rush hour semi-express. As of April 2021, NCS service

SECTION 10

#1732780315645

840-749: Is limited to rush hours in the peak direction only–towards Chicago in the morning and towards Antioch in the afternoon. This makes the NCS one of 3 Metra lines (along with the Heritage Corridor and the SouthWest Service ) to only offer peak service. From August 12–30, 2024 during the 2024 Democratic National Convention , Metra operated expanded NCS service. The regularly scheduled weekday trains were supplemented by 15 hourly round trips between O'Hare Transfer station and Union Station , making only intermediate stops at River Grove and Western Avenue . On weekends, there were 16 hourly round trips serving

910-668: Is no weekend or holiday service to Big Timber Road. The line runs on the CPKC Railway's Elgin Subdivision (ex- Milwaukee Road line to Omaha ). In 1982, the Milwaukee Road Elgin Line was sold to the newly created Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Rail Corporation which ran commuter trains for the Milwaukee Road while the latter underwent reorganization. The Milwaukee Road retained ownership of

980-428: Is one of the safest forms of land travel, compromises to Metra's safety and security can occur through pedestrian accidents, suicide attempts, vehicle collisions, derailment , terrorism and other incidents . Failing to maintain safety and security can result in equipment and infrastructure damage, extensive service disruptions, traumatic injuries and loss of life . Therefore, Metra and other agencies consider safety

1050-565: Is pooled with the fleets for the North Central Service and the Milwaukee District North Line . As of 2016, three of these locomotives are in operation. Coaches, or passenger railcars, consist mostly of Nippon Sharyo railcars built in the early 2000s. Cab cars are Nippon Sharyo built. Budd-built railcars also operate on the line, but the cab cars built by Budd have not been in use since the delivery of

1120-458: Is responsible for all stations along with the respective municipalities. Since its inception, Metra has directed more than $ 5 billion into the commuter rail system of the Chicago metropolitan area alongside the CTA . In January 2023, Metra rolled out a new real-time train tracking website to allow passengers greater visibility into their commute. Since the 19th century, Chicago has been a major hub in

1190-695: Is responsible for the safety of all routes and stations. In an effort to help coordinate emergency preparedness and incident management , all Metra police officers are certified in the National Incident Management System . In addition, Metra police works with the Chicago Police Department as a member of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy . Thomas A. Cook was the only Metra police officer that has been killed in

1260-416: Is usually free on weekends and most holidays. Mass transit CTA and suburban Pace buses connect with many Metra stations downtown and in the suburbs. Monthly pass holders are offered link-up options with these services. In addition, many intercity bus lines connect with passengers outside of Union Station. The Chicago "L" also has transfers with Metra at some Chicago stations. Most 'L' lines traverse

1330-518: The Chicago Loop , so Metra passengers can easily transfer to a different Metra line upon their arrival downtown. Metra's urban-centric service remains popular with suburban commuters working downtown, reverse commuters , and those who visit Chicago for recreational activities and tourism . Stations are found throughout Chicago, as well as in suburban Cook , DuPage , Kane , Lake , McHenry , and Will counties—an area largely coextensive with

1400-945: The Chicago metropolitan area . Each station, unless a route or branch terminus, provides travel toward (inbound) and away from (outbound) downtown Chicago. Therefore, a passenger can connect between the city and a suburb or between two points in the suburbs using Metra service. Although Metra's commuter rail system is designed to connect points all over the Chicago metropolitan area, it does provide some intracity connections within Chicago. Metra trains originate from one of four stations in downtown Chicago. Six lines originate at Union Station . The three Union Pacific lines originate at Ogilvie Transportation Center , formerly and still popularly called North Western Station. The Rock Island District originates at LaSalle Street Station . The Metra Electric District originates at Millennium Station , formerly and still often called Randolph Street Terminal. All four terminals are situated within walking distance of

1470-614: The Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Rail Corporation (NIRC), Metra's operating subsidiary; five of these primarily run over track owned by other railroads, while two (the Electric and Rock Island districts) run entirely on Metra-owned track. Inbound trains on every line at all times run through to their Chicago terminus, however, many outbound trains do not run through to their respective lines' terminus (for example, most trains on

SECTION 20

#1732780315645

1540-510: The PTC mandate that passed Congress , Metra took steps to meet the deadline. Metra concluded that the December 31, 2015 mandate to have PTC running was an unreasonable requirement. This aligned with the stance taken by much of the railroad industry. This is due to a variety of factors including but not limited to: delays from the government, and the fundamental complexity of building a program from

1610-782: The Suburban Transit Access Route ("STAR" Line). In 2023, Metra announced plans to extend the Milwaukee District West Line to Rockford, Illinois , with intermediate stops at Huntley and Belvidere , by 2027. In August 2024, Metra ran hourly shuttles on the North Central Service between O'Hare International Airport and Union Station during the Democratic National Convention , leading some to question whether more frequent service to O'Hare could be permanently obtained. Such an agreement would require contracts with

1680-544: The Union Pacific West Line from Geneva to Elburn and extended SouthWest Service from Orland Park to Manhattan. In 2012, it boasted 95.8% average on-time performance (measured only for a train's arrivals at its last station no more than six minutes late). It also posted its fourth highest volume in its history despite decreases in employment opportunities in downtown Chicago. Metra continued to seek expansion options and to improve passenger service. Over

1750-485: The United States Armed Forces and persons with disabilities may qualify for these programs. Time-based and geographical restrictions apply to these programs and passengers must ensure they qualify before attempting to purchase special tickets or ride for free. Cook County launched The Fair Transit pilot on January 4, 2021, scheduled to initially last for three years. Under the pilot, all riders on

1820-1064: The Canadian Pacific Kansas City, or CPKC. Metra has included the possibility of extending the Milwaukee District West Line along one of two routes in their Cost Benefit Analysis report. If this were to happen, the line could continue west via CPKC trackage to Hampshire , with an additional stop in Pingree Grove . Alternatively, the line could switch to the Union Pacific Railroad 's Belvidere line (ex-Chicago & North Western line to Freeport) and travel northwest from Big Timber Road to Marengo , with additional stops in Gilberts , Huntley , and Union . In 2023, Governor J. B. Pritzker selected Metra to operate new intercity passenger rail beyond Big Timber Road to Rockford using

1890-465: The Chicago and Western Indiana service to Dolton, Illinois, was discontinued in 1964. Chicago Great Western had commuter service to DeKalb, Illinois (closed 1906). Santa Fe service to Joliet, Illinois (closed 1903). However, Metra runs service to Joliet, Illinois, on two routes: Heritage Corridor and Rock Island District. Ridership has been slowly declining on all but one line since 2014, as seen below. The figures post-2020 have been drastically affected by

1960-498: The Chicago area continued to operate their lines under contract to the RTA. Less than a decade later the Regional Transportation Authority was already suffering from ongoing financial problems. Additionally, two rail providers, the Rock Island Line and the Milwaukee Road , went bankrupt, forcing the RTA to create the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation to operate their lines directly in 1982. In 1983

2030-475: The Illinois Legislature reorganized the agency. That reorganization left the Regional Transportation Authority in charge of day-to-day operations of all bus, heavy rail and commuter rail services throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. It was also responsible for directing fare and service levels, setting up budgets, finding sources for capital investment and planning. A new Commuter Rail Division

2100-577: The Illinois State Medical Society, after admitting to taking bribes to steer Metra contracts to firms associated with former legislator Roger Stanley and pleading guilty to his part in Illinois's Operation Safe Road scandal. In April 2010, Metra's executive director, Phil Pagano, faced investigation for taking an unauthorized $ 56,000 bonus and was later found to have improperly received $ 475,000 in vacation pay. The day that

2170-584: The Loop allowing nearby access to all downtown Metra terminals. There are also transfer points between Metra and the 'L' outside of the Loop, such as transfers from the Union Pacific Northwest Line to the Blue Line at Irving Park and Jefferson Park Transit Center ; and from the Union Pacific West Line to the Green Line at Oak Park. 'L' trains announce downtown Metra connections on board when announcing

Milwaukee District West Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

2240-565: The MD-W between Western Avenue and River Grove. About a mile west of River Grove, this route turns north at a junction known as tower B-12. The rest of the route operates on the Canadian National Railway 's Waukesha Subdivision . Until 2020, a single daily inbound train, no. 120, made all stops along the North Central Service from Antioch to Washington Street , then switched to the Milwaukee District North Line 's tracks at

2310-702: The Metra Electric and Rock Island lines will pay Metra's reduced fare rates. On the Union Pacific North Line , passengers headed to an event at Ravinia Park may ride to the event for free after showing their Ravinia Festival e-ticket to the conductor. Metra employees, the Metra Police Department and other public safety agencies are responsible for maintaining safety and security on its lines, aboard its trains and at stations all to various degrees. Although rail transport

2380-444: The Metra board approved an $ 80 million contract to Parsons Transportation Group. Parsons was the sole bidder and speaks to the complexities of the project. They will be in charge of incorporating various devices from GPS, radio, to trackside antennas into one cohesive system. The group has some experience in this sector previously as Parsons worked with the southern California commuter rail agency Metrolink to install their system. By

2450-541: The Milwaukee District West Line, with intermediate stops in Belvidere , Huntley, and at one of the three existing Metra stations in Elgin. The service would provide additional capacity to the existing line; introducing express reverse commute and expanded weekend options between Elgin and Union Station. The extension is scheduled to open in 2027, making it the first passenger rail service to connect Chicago and Rockford after

2520-420: The NCS' timetable accents are lavender, a shade of purple. It is one of two Metra lines (the other being the Union Pacific West Line ) that do not have a specific color for a fallen flag railroad that used to operate on the route. Between Union Station and River Grove , the North Central Service shares tracks with the Milwaukee District West Line , but does not stop at any of the intermediate stations used by

2590-544: The North American rail network. It has more trackage radiating in more directions than any other city in North America. Railroads set up their headquarters in the city and Chicago became a center for building freight cars, passenger cars and diesel locomotives. Early commuter services were run by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy , Chicago and North Western , and Milwaukee Road . By the 1930s, Chicago had

2660-565: The North Central Service is fully ADA-accessible. No tickets are sold at any North Central Service stations outside Chicago. Passengers must purchase tickets either on the train or with Ventra . On January 30, 2006 four new stations on the North Central Service opened: Belmont Avenue in Franklin Park , Schiller Park , Rosemont , and Washington Street in Grayslake . Service doubled from 10 to 20 trains per day with this change in

2730-468: The Northwest Line). Zones K and M were merged into zone J on July 15, 2018, reducing the number of zones to ten. On February 1, 2024, Metra reduced the number of fare zones from 10 to 4 and labeled each of the four zones by number instead of letter. This was proposed in an effort to simplify its fare structure. In addition, trips not entering or exiting the downtown area (zone 1) are subjected to

2800-583: The Union Pacific Northwest Line do not run through to Harvard; instead, terminating at Crystal Lake). █   BNSF █   Heritage Corridor █   Metra Electric █   Milwaukee District North █   Milwaukee District West █   North Central Service █   Rock Island █   SouthWest Service █   Union Pacific North █   Union Pacific Northwest █   Union Pacific West Metra proposed two routes in

2870-642: The agency received approximately $ 700 million a year, but Metra claims to need about $ 2 billion a year, which only since 2020 has been accomplished. Because of this, Metra had to cut back on new rolling stock, instead resorting to their Rebuild Programs, in which they rebuild railcars and locomotives with newer state of the art utilities. Rebuilds cost only a fraction as much as buying new rolling stock, such as with their Amerail built cars. Rebuild programs can rebuild aging cars for approximately $ 650,000, whereas buying that same railcar new would be approximately $ 3 million. Metra serves passengers through stations throughout

Milwaukee District West Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

2940-460: The agency's board was scheduled to discuss his fate, Pagano stepped in front of a moving Metra train in an apparent suicide. Around the time of Pagano's death, allegations also surfaced that a Metra employee demanded a $ 2,000 payoff from the studio that used Metra in the 2011 film Source Code . That employee was later relieved of his duties, and retired. In June 2013, Metra CEO Alex Clifford abruptly resigned his position with no public comment. It

3010-438: The board's decision. By October 2013, local officials had restored Metra's board to 11 members. After reviewing four candidates, the re-constituted board formally appointed Orseno CEO of Metra in January 2014. In 2014, "a lengthy history of political patronage hiring at" Metra was reported, based on past files. For a long time, Metra was not being funded enough to keep most equipment and rolling stock up to date. On average,

3080-573: The commuter rail system, the Illinois General Assembly formed the Regional Transportation Authority in 1974. Its purpose was to fund and plan the Chicago region's public transportation. After initially using second-hand equipment, the RTA took delivery of the first new EMD F40PH locomotives in 1976. That F40PH fleet is still in service today. The companies that had long provided commuter rail in

3150-494: The discontinuation of Amtrak's Black Hawk service in 1981. Between 2014 and 2019, annual ridership declined 15% from 6,946,268 to 5,904,808. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , ridership dropped to 1,480,973 passengers in 2020. The MD-W line's locomotive fleet consists of mainly MPI MP36PH-3C diesel-electric locomotives, with some EMD F40PH locomotives. The line also operates ex- GO Transit EMD F59PH locomotives. The fleet

3220-706: The early 2000s: the SouthEast Service , which would connect some portions of the southern suburbs with downtown Chicago; and the Suburban Transit Access Route , which would connect various suburbs with each other without going into downtown. As of 2020 , only the SouthEast Service is still being considered. In 2023, the Illinois Department of Transportation selected Metra as the agency to run restored rail service to Rockford . Several commuter lines were discontinued before Metra

3290-563: The first quarter of 2024, the Union Pacific Railroad is expected to transfer operations of the three Union Pacific lines to Metra. Union Pacific will continue to own and maintain the right-of-way. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Metra experienced record ridership and expanded its services. In 1996, Metra organized its first new line, the North Central Service , running from Union Station to Antioch. By 2006, it added new intermediate stops to that same route, extended

3360-459: The ground up. Moreover, Metra estimates the cost of implementing the system on their 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of track in the Chicago region to be over $ 200 million. The fear is this unfunded mandate will divert scarce capital funds from other essential needs. This includes building and maintaining existing tracks, stations, signals, and other equipment that ensures a safe operating environment for all of Metra's passengers. However, Metra recognizes

3430-599: The inner ring of the Chicago metropolitan area. One station is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin . Metra operates on 11 lines, most of which date from the mid-19th century. Four lines are operated under purchase-of-service agreements. The BNSF Line service is operated by BNSF Railway . The three lines out of the Ogilvie Transportation Center (formerly North Western Station) are operated by the Union Pacific Railroad . The other seven lines are operated by

3500-470: The line of duty thus far. North Central Service 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,

3570-660: The line until 1986. Metra formally purchased the Milwaukee District (the only other being Milwaukee District North ) from the Soo Line Railroad (which took the bankrupt Milwaukee Road under its wing in 1985) in 1987. The Soo Line then ran freight trains on the line via trackage rights before its absorption into the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1990. CP Railway merged with the Kansas City Southern Railway in April 2023 into

SECTION 50

#1732780315645

3640-542: The need for PTC but needed a more reasonable timeline to implement such a program. This recognition is partially based on Metra's previous accident history. Two noteworthy events were a pair of accidents on the Rock Island District within a span of a couple of years. The first event was a derailment that occurred on October 12, 2003, when a train flew through a 10 mph crossing at 68 mph. A second very similar occurrence happened on September 17, 2005, but

3710-400: The network is provided under the Metra name (in keeping with Metra's goal of providing a single identity for all commuter rail in the region). Metra also owns all rolling stock, controls fares and staffing levels, and is responsible for most of the stations. However, the freight carriers who operate routes under contract use their own employees and control the right-of-way for those routes. By

3780-423: The newer railcars. [REDACTED] Media related to Metra Milwaukee District/West Line at Wikimedia Commons Metra Metra is the descendant of numerous passenger rail services dating to the 1850s. The present system dates to 1974, when the Illinois General Assembly established the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to consolidate transit operations in the Chicago area, including commuter rail as

3850-444: The next 'L' stop. Union Station doubles as both a Metra station and Amtrak 's station in Chicago. In addition to Illinois Service and Hiawatha , Amtrak trains run nationwide including service to states spanning both coastlines . Passengers connecting from Ogilvie Transportation Center can access Union Station through its north platforms on the opposite side of Madison Street , with Millennium and LaSalle stations also within

3920-422: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic . Though monthly reports from 2024 show heavy improvement over 2021 figures, they are still below pre-pandemic levels. Peak-direction ridership is at only 56% of pre-pandemic ridership, while other types of weekday travel are between 80% and 95% recovery rates. Systemwide, Saturday and Sunday ridership has fully recovered to pre-pandemic numbers. Transportation in Chicago consists of

3990-482: The past three decades, Metra has invested more than $ 5 billion into its infrastructure. That investment has been used to purchase new rolling stock, build new stations, renovate tracks, modernize signal systems and upgrade support facilities. In addition to core improvements on the Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West Lines, planning advanced on two new Metra routes, SouthEast Service and

4060-487: The railroads that own them and security falls to those companies. When asked why there were increasing patrols spokesman Michael Gillis said, "There is no particular reason, other than the fact that we want to be more proactive and more deliberately visible to our riders". The Metra Police Department is a special law enforcement agency charged with providing police services to passengers, employees, equipment and property. The department has more than 100 police officers and

4130-412: The remaining board members unanimously elected Don Orseno as interim CEO. (The six-member board was operating with reduced membership and thus lacked the authority to elect a permanent CEO. Orseno and Alex Wiggins shared duties as co-executive directors.) Orseno's long railroad career, beginning with work to set up trains and check doors for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad played favorably in

4200-420: The same stations, with no service north of O'Hare Transfer. Between 2014 and 2019, annual ridership declined 12.5% from 1,817,335 to 1,589,905. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , ridership dropped to 340,682 passengers in 2020 and to 146,668 passengers in 2021. As of October 2024, ridership is at 41% of its October 2019 total (compared to a 63% recovery rate system-wide). Similar to other lines, midday ridership

4270-424: The same zone even though they are on the same line. Historically, the downtown terminals and stations in the vicinity of downtown were classified as zone 'A' and each additional zone represented an added 5 miles (8.0 km) from the downtown terminus. There were originally thirteen fare zones: zones A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and M (zone L would not have any stations since 1984 when Hartland station closed on

SECTION 60

#1732780315645

4340-512: The timetable, combined with double tracking of large portions of the line and the CN rerouting freight traffic south of Mundelein. On September 11, 2006 service expanded from 20 to 22 trains when Metra split one rush-hour local train in each direction into two express trains. Notably, the line goes through Des Plaines but does not have a station there. The station in Des Plaines was on Thacker Street and closed in 1965. However, Des Plaines

4410-529: The two freight railroads - Canadian National , which owns some of the NCS track, and CPKC , which dispatches trains on another portion of the route. Additionally, improved service to O'Hare would likely require major infrastructure upgrades to track, sidings, crossovers, and flyovers, with the potential for dedicated rolling stock another consideration. Metra also has been marred by allegations and investigations of corruption. In April 2002, board member Don Udstuen resigned from both Metra and his executive job with

4480-602: The western suburbs to Elgin, Illinois . As of February 15, 2024, the public timetable shows 52 trains (26 in each direction) operating on weekdays. Of these, 19 inbound trains originate from Big Timber Road , three from Elgin , one from National Street , and three from Franklin Park . Three outbound trains terminate at Franklin Park, one at National Street, and the remainder terminate at Big Timber Road. On weekends, Metra operates 12 roundtrips on Saturdays and nine on Sundays and holidays, all running from Union Station to Elgin. There

4550-401: The world's largest public transportation system, but commuter rail services started to decline. By the mid-1970s, the commuter lines faced an uncertain future. The Burlington Northern , Milwaukee Road, Chicago and North Western and Illinois Central had been losing money for several years, and were using trainsets with passenger cars dating as far back as the 1920s. To provide stability to

4620-545: The year 2020, Metra completed installation of the Positive Train Control. This came at a capital cost of $ 400 million and an annual operating cost of $ 20 million. Metra's PTC system works with the trains of 12 other railroad companies. Fare is determined by the distance traveled by a passenger. Each station along every route has generally been placed in a specific zone based on its distance from its respective downtown station. Multiple stations can be placed in

4690-540: Was created to handle commuter rail operations; along with CTA and Pace , it was one of RTA's three "service boards". The board of the RTA Commuter Rail Division first met in 1984. In an effort to simplify the operation of commuter rail in the Chicago area, in July 1985 it adopted a unified brand for the entire system–Metra, or Met ropolitan Ra il. The newly reorganized Metra service helped to bring

4760-740: Was established. The Illinois Central West Line from present-day Millennium Station to Addison, Illinois, (closed 1931), Pennsylvania Railroad line to Valparaiso, Indiana, (closed 1935), New York Central line from LaSalle Street Station to Elkhart, Indiana, (closed 1964), and four Chicago & North Western lines to St. Charles, Aurora, Freeport, and Kenosha-Harvard (all municipalities in Illinois and Wisconsin, closed 1930–51). The Burlington Route had service between Aurora and West Chicago, Illinois (closed 1943). Chicago Eastern Illinois operated commuter service on this line out of Dearborn Station to Dolton and Momence, respectively. The Chicago and Eastern Illinois commuter line to Momence, Illinois, ended in 1935, while

4830-436: Was later reported that his exit had been demanded by the Metra board, which negotiated a $ 871,000 severance package including a non-disclosure agreement . Clifford's ouster was allegedly arranged because he rejected requests for patronage hiring and promotion, including a request to promote a longtime supporter of State Representative Michael Madigan . In the wake of this scandal, five board members resigned. In August 2013,

4900-410: Was more serious. The latter derailment killed two passengers and injured 117. Both of these incidents could have been prevented if PTC were in place. In both circumstances, PTC would have overridden the engineer and slowed the train down to the appropriate speed to prevent an accident from occurring. Recently, Metra has taken significant steps in the process to fully implementing PTC. On April 22, 2015,

#644355