Metra fares to increase Feb. 1; monthly passes expire last day of month.
Metra ticket fares are set to increase Feb. 1, and a number of fare policies will also change at the same time. Tables of the new adult and special user fares by zone are on Metra’s website.
For more information on the increases and changes, visit Metra’s website.
Meg Reile, spokesperson for Metra, said she expects the policy change involving monthly pass expiration to have the most impact on riders. Currently passes are valid until noon on the first day of the following month. Under the new policy passes will expire on the last day of the month.
Tickets purchased Nov. 12 to Jan. 31 will expire Feb. 29.
Earlier: New Metra station among possible 2012 projects.
| Fare Increases Effective Feb. 1 on the Union Pacific / Northwest Line (UP-NW). | ||
| Zone C: Dee Road, Park Ridge, Edison Park and Norwood Park | ||
| Old Fare: | New Fare: | |
|
Single Ride Ticket |
$3.50 |
$4.25 |
| 10 Ride Ticket | $28.50 | $38.25 |
| Monthly Pass | $90.45 |
$121.00 |
| Zone D: Mount Prospect, Cumberland and Des Plaines | ||
|
Single Ride Ticket |
$4.00 | $4.75 |
| 10 Ride Ticket | $32.30 | $42.75 |
| Monthly Pass | $102.60 | $135.25 |
| Zone E: Arlington Park and Arlington Heights | ||
| Single Ride Ticket | $4.50 | $5.25 |
| 10 Ride Ticket | $36.55 | $47.25 |
| Monthly Pass | $116.10 | $149.50 |
Tickets may be ordered online on Metra’s website, and are mailed to riders. There is no additional charge to order online. Reile said it usually takes about five days to receive them.
The ticket window at the Des Plaines depot is open 5:25 a.m. to 12:55 p.m., Monday through Friday, according to Metra’s website. Waiting room hours are 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Updated tracking system on the way
Metra does not have an official app for mobile devices, but, Reile said, it has a mobile website. Later this year Metra is expected to introduce a train tracking system accessible to riders.
Currently, Metra generally only posts alerts about delayed trains on its website if they are running 15 minutes or more behind schedule, Reile said.
john gorzelnik
3:15 pm on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
It looks like the blue line will have a few more passengers. I wonder how many others will go back to driving because of this huge fare increase?
Laura Wagner
5:07 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Even with the fare increase, it's still much cheaper than driving. If you consider gas, wear-and-tear on your car, and the exorbitant rates for parking in downtown Chicago, I think you'll find that Metra is preferable to driving.
I take the train from Des Plaines to downtown and back at least 18 days a month. Even with the increase of $33 in my monthly pass, I still feel I'm getting a good deal over driving--not to mention that I don't have to sit in horrible, unexpected traffic on the Kennedy and be late for work. The 1 or 2 days a month that I drive downtown are the most stressful ones I experience.