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73-433: Regional Transportation Authority may refer to: Regional Transportation Authority (Illinois) , serving Chicago, United States Regional Transportation Authority (Tennessee) , serving Nashville, United States South Florida Regional Transportation Authority , United States See also [ edit ] Regional Transit Authority (disambiguation) Topics referred to by

146-455: A bill were the requirement that a 3/5ths supermajority of the legislators was needed to pass a bill after May 31 to be immediately effective, the Governor had threatened to veto a bill that included a sales tax increase, and many legislators tied a transit bill to a capital plan and a casino bill to fund that capital plan. However, with a new Doomsday deadline of January 20, 2008 approaching,

219-471: 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

292-474: 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 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

365-420: 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

438-426: A referendum in 1974. In 1973, CTA had instituted its first major service cuts, and several suburban bus companies, including Evanston Bus Company and Glenview Bus Company had ceased operations, forcing Evanston to make arrangements with CTA and Wilmette to start a municipal service. The Rock Island and Milwaukee Road were already facing financial distresses, which would lead to their eventual bankruptcies, and

511-719: 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

584-869: 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

657-743: 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

730-638: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Regional Transportation Authority (Illinois) The RTA system provides nearly 2 million rides per day, making it the third largest public transportation system in North America. The RTA provides several services to the public, including the RTA Travel Information line at 836-7000 from all Chicago area area codes , an automated trip planner, and "try transit" advertising . The RTA has

803-428: 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

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876-695: 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

949-416: 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

1022-614: 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 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

1095-518: 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

1168-655: The Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad , BNSF Railway , and other railroads. The system operates 243 stations on 11 rail lines. It is the fourth busiest commuter rail system in the United States by ridership and the largest and busiest commuter rail system outside the New York City metropolitan area . In 2023,

1241-945: 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

1314-480: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy , Chicago and North Western , and Milwaukee Road . By the 1930s, Chicago had 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

1387-675: The Illinois Central was petitioning the Interstate Commerce Commission to increase commuter fares, on the basis that the cost of operating its commuter train system was a burden on interstate commerce . While several suburbs had organized Mass Transit Districts to purchase equipment for the carriers with federal financial assistance, the Rock Island was still operating old equipment that it could not replace. In an attempt to deal with these problems in

1460-569: The Illinois General Assembly established the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to consolidate transit operations in the Chicago area, including commuter rail as 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

1533-614: 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

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1606-510: 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

1679-782: 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

1752-544: 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

1825-485: 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

1898-445: The 1920s. To provide stability to 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

1971-654: The 2008 changes, there have been several proposals to reform the region's transit agencies more dramatically. In the wake of Metra 's 2013 patronage scandal, state senators Daniel Biss and Terry Link introduced a bill to merge the RTA with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). At the same time, Governor Pat Quinn convened the Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force to study potential reforms - this group concluded that Metra,

2044-645: The CTA, and Pace should be consolidated into one agency. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel opposed consolidation as reducing accountability to voters. In 2014, a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also recommended combining Metra, the CTA, and Pace to improve coordination. In an effort to avert a "fiscal cliff" attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, in September 2023, CMAP raised

2117-465: 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

2190-561: 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

2263-418: The Governor called on the legislature to pass some bill, and he would "improve it," presumably using the amendatory veto . The Legislature passed HB656 on January 10, to which the Governor affixed an amendatory veto allowing senior citizens to ride all transit systems in the state for free. Although various media reports expressed concern that the legislation could not receive the votes to sustain it after it

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2336-490: The Governor proposed advancing 2008 state subsidies. A new Doomsday date was set for November 4, but that was avoided when the Governor engineered a transfer of capital funds. Again, the legislature having failed to pass a transit bill, the three service boards proposed 2008 budgets that assumed no new funding and postulated service cuts by CTA and Pace, and the deferral of capital projects by Metra, as well as fare increases by all three agencies. The barriers to 2007 passage of

2409-475: 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

2482-577: 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

2555-666: 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

2628-702: 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

2701-496: 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

2774-468: 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

2847-463: The Service Boards have the authority to determine the level, nature, and kind of public transportation to be provided, and to establish fares. Originally, RTA entered into purchase of service agreements with carriers, but the 1983 amendment gives the Service Boards the power to enter into those agreements with transportation agencies. The 1983 legislation also imposed the requirements that

2920-545: The Suburban Bus Division, now known as Pace, and the Commuter Rail Division, now known as Metra . RTA's role then changed, so that it is now responsible for reviewing the operating and capital plans and expenditures of the Service Boards, developing an annual budget and program as well as a five-year plan, and distributing sales tax receipts to the Service Boards, in accordance with a statutory formula. However, RTA no longer provides service directly, as

2993-583: 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

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3066-642: 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

3139-460: 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

3212-437: The assumption that "a new funding source would be identified in 2007 to meet the funding requirements of [the] budget." Nonetheless, the CTA budget recognized, "Without this new funding source, CTA will be forced to cut service." With no legislative action by August, 2007, CTA and Pace announced proposals for service cuts, popularly known as "Doomsday Plans," to be implemented September 16. The September plans were postponed when

3285-458: The authority to enter into agreements to provide service between points within the metropolitan region and outside of its territory, including into Indiana and Wisconsin . The RTA Board consists of 16 directors , including: The chief executive officer is the executive director , who is appointed by the Chairman with the concurrence of 11 of the other directors. RTA was created after

3358-493: 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,

3431-706: 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

3504-635: 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

3577-459: 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

3650-599: 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

3723-558: The legislature must address other issues, including underfunded pensions, high salaries, absenteeism, and the lack of strong, centralized planning, resulting in several of the service boards competing for customers in the same areas, the Auditor General calling for "an end to the transit agencies fighting each other for customers, routes and federal funding for pet projects that may not fit into an overall regional transit plan." The RTA approved 2007 Service Board budgets premised on

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3796-462: The level of fares must be sufficient, in the aggregate, to equal 50 percent of the cost of providing transportation, and that the RTA Board inform each Service Board, as part of the budget process, of its required recovery ratio for the next fiscal year. In 2004, the CTA, projecting a $ 55 million funding shortfall in its 2005 budget, called for a "long term funding solution," involving a change to

3869-542: 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

3942-400: 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

4015-444: 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

4088-422: 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

4161-491: The operation of paratransit service to Pace starting July 1, 2006, thereby relieving the CTA of that responsibility. The General Assembly also directed the Illinois Auditor General to audit the RTA and the Service Boards, as part of its review of the funding issue. The Auditor General's preliminary report, while agreeing that public funding was insufficient to support the level of transit services, said that

4234-482: 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

4307-690: The possibility of raising taxes as well as merging CTA, Metra, and Pace into one larger agency. On April 29, 2024, the Illinois General Assembly proposed the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, which called for replacing the RTA and three constituent transit agencies with a larger agency named the Metropolitan Mobility Authority . Metra Metra ( reporting mark METX ) is the primary commuter rail system in

4380-487: 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

4453-412: 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

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4526-459: The sales tax distribution formula in the RTA Act. In response, the Illinois General Assembly appropriated $ 54 million to cover the cost of CTA's paratransit service for 2005. An amendment to the RTA Act made the RTA responsible for the funding, financial review and oversight of all ADA paratransit services, effective July 1, 2005, and transferred responsibility for operating or providing for

4599-463: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Regional Transportation Authority . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Regional_Transportation_Authority&oldid=1181147514 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

4672-424: 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

4745-411: The six-county area, the RTA was established, with some taxing powers, to provide financial support through grants to the CTA and suburban mass transit districts, and purchase of service agreements with the private bus and rail operators. In 1983, after a financial crisis, and the RTA taking over several private bus companies and the Rock Island and Milwaukee Road lines, the RTA Act was amended to create

4818-460: The system had a ridership of 31,894,900, or about 168,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The estimated busiest day for Metra ridership occurred on November 4, 2016—the day of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory rally, with a record 460,000+ passengers. Metra is the descendant of numerous passenger rail services dating to the 1850s. The present system dates to 1974, when

4891-578: 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

4964-545: 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

5037-540: 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

5110-740: 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

5183-436: 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,

5256-410: 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,

5329-570: Was returned with the amendment, the amendatory veto was accepted and the legislation passed on January 17, 2008. The highlights of the 2008 amendments to the RTA Act include: In addition, the legislation amended various other laws to deal with underfunding of the CTA Retirement Plan, and authorized the Chicago City Council to raise the real estate transfer tax for the sole benefit of the CTA, which it did. Since

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