Metra Union Pacific West Schedule (2024)

FAQs

Is alcohol allowed on Metra trains? ›

Alcohol is generally allowed on Metra trains, in moderation. Metra reserves the right to refuse service to anyone who is intoxicated or impaired. Unruly behavior will be not tolerated and all riders are required to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. Underage drinking on Metra trains will not be tolerated.

Route 59 on the BNSF Line has been Metra's busiest station for more than a decade. Naperville, also on the BNSF, was second and Ravenswood on the Union Pacific North Line ranked third.

At the actual tracks, there are audio enunciators that let customers know which track is in front of them. Once again, the departures monitors will let you know which track your train is departing from and the track enunciators will direct you to your track.

Yes, you can bring your own food and drink on the train.

You may bring aboard your own private stock of alcoholic beverages subject to the following limitations: You may consume private stock alcoholic beverages only in Sleeping Car accommodations for which you have a valid ticket. You may not consume private stock alcoholic beverages in any public areas.

Train crews also may deem it necessary to sound a horn as a warning when there is a vehicle, person or animal near the tracks. Track construction, workers within 25 feet of a live track or malfunctioning crossings, also require crews to sound the horn.

The longest Metra route, the Union Pacific Northwest Line is a 63.2-mile (101.7 km) route from Ogilvie Transportation Center to Harvard, Illinois, with most trains ending in Crystal Lake. During weekdays except for holidays, service also includes a 7.59-mile (12.21 km) branch line from Pingree Road to McHenry.

"The primary mission of the Metra Police Department shall be to safeguard the lives of Metra commuters, its employees and those who use the Metra rail system."

All Metra trains have toilets on board. Some stations have bathrooms, but most do not.

What does Metra stand for? ›

Due to the complicated and patchwork nature of commuter rail at the time, the CRD in 1985 came up with the name “Metra” as a service mark for the system as a whole (short for “Metropolitan Rail”).

Wi-Fi on Metra

Metra offers free Wi-Fi in the waiting areas of all of its downtown stations and on a small number of railcars spread across our 11 lines. The 62 railcars that have Wi-Fi hotspots can be identified with an orange Wi-Fi decal on the exterior of the car.

The speed limit on the system's only overhead catenary-powered line is 65 mph. But according to Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski, that is a holdover from the 1920s, based on what the brakes could handle at the time. By comparison, the speed limit of the South Shore Line from the Loop to South Bend, IN is 79 mph.

The trains run on the left-hand side, thought to be a function of how the first track and depots were situated when a second track was added.

The average Metra train consists of a locomotive and 6-7 cars, so that means the average train (with an eight-wheel locomotive) has 56 wheels (six-car train) or 64 wheels (seven-car train).

(WICS/WRSP) — Illinoisans are now allowed to legally drink alcohol on trains. Governor JB Pritzker officially signed HB3878, which repeals the Railroad Intoxicating Liquor Act. It was passed earlier this year by both the Illinois House and Senate.

This ban means that not only will alcohol be disallowed from all Metro North trains, but train stations as well, including Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to these examples: A. Alcohol and Drugs: Smoking any kind of tobacco or marijuana or using electronic cigarettes or vaporizers on trains, in stations, or within 15 feet of station and enclosed area entrances.

Service animals are allowed on all Metra trains at all times. Small pets in enclosed carriers are permitted on non-peak period weekday trains arriving in Chicago before 6:31 a.m. and after 9:30 a.m., departing Chicago before 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m., and on all weekend trains.