Metra Metropolitan Rail

Metra is never on time due to switching delays and can take no accountability when it comes to those delays, their «apology» is an automated response on their PA systems. Thanks Metra great customer service!
Also their policy on lost/​stolen tickets on their trains is insulting and ridiculous. They are unable to make a single exception even if you have your receipt proving you paid for the ticket. Thank you for assuming that i will resell my ticket.
The system that they have in place for wage works is outdated and they should realistically convert this over to their mobile app. But they are slow to do this because they know they generate more revenue for themselves if customers get their tickets stolen or lost.
The metra is convenient and allows you to avoid traffic which is great but they know this. They know that customers do not have many options in terms of commuting which they take full advantage of with their terrible customer service.

Ooooooh Metra I so want to love you unconditionally. You get my carless self to so many special times with family & friends.
My beef is with your notification on loading on which side. I understand putting up a sign would be perhaps costly for a minor track change or even putting a note on the line map page. However it would be super simple to implement a canned message like the arrival notice… «attention metra passengers Inbound train will be on the opposite track usually used for outbound trains» or vice versa or center track.
I am sooooooo annoyed as are a ton of other people as we waited on the «to chicago» side only to see the inbound train on the outbound side the other day. Once everyone saw it, it was too late to cross & it’s not like the train driver knew to wait for everyone to cross.

⁴⁄₂₅ train 1237 BSNF 5:36 leaving Chicago Union StAtion
Doors closed at 5:34 — 2 minutes earlier thAn its departure time of 536pm. Will you pay for my kids daycare that charges me $ 1 a minute each minute I arrive after 6pm? The men manning the desk outside of gate 4 and the railroad police are so gracious and understanding. We appreciate that they accused the group of commuters of not getting on the train in time — we were on time! If your crew hadn’t closed the doors early we would have all made the train. Thanks for being inconsiderate and flippant.

The reviews for Metra are hilarious, so many people griping about one off situations, when in reality they transport thousands to and from work every day without incident. So we have that going for us, which is nice.
Are there occasional delays? Sure, but they’ve gotten a lot better about communicating when they happen. People need to bear in mind that Metra shares the rail with freight trains, which are operated by the railroads that own the rail that Metra operates on, plus Amtrak traffic as well. Trains will be late sometimes, but you’d be late to work just as often if you drove instead because people wreck and mess up traffic there too.
The only gripes I have as a daily Metra BNSF commuter would be first, the rare occasions my train in to the city arrives at then leaves my stop a couple minutes EARLY which has caused me to miss it. Luckily, I live close enough to the city that I can hop on the CTA or drive and still be downtown within 25 mins. The other gripe is conductors who make a huge stink about people putting their feet on the upper level railings. Those seats need that footspace, I know that the conductor I call ‘Big Hoss’ certainly wouldn’t make it sitting up there without putting his feet up, so he should stfu about us doing it.

One star just for the fact that your conductors don’t ever announce themselves when they enter the car so they can act like knobs when you don’t have your ticket ready. This happens every day in the BNSF Naperville Express trains. These guys are like ninjas.

They really suck! First they rip off the public by increasing fares and charging extra, like $ 3 extra if you don’t get your ticket at the station. And why couldn’t you do a reasonable incremental increase year after year instead of a whopping 30% increase a couple of years ago?! From $ 103 to $ 130 for a zone D monthly ticket??? That was bad! Next they are late often going in to downtown on certain trains. Yep, let’s sit back and wait for the OUTBOUND train to pass first before we go to work. Who thought of that idea? Must have been a high school dropout, that’s who! Finally they are jerks who allow the train engineers to blow the horn AFTER midnight as they stop at heavily residential areas like Chicago Ridge!!! Just heard one blow the horn twice at 12:18 am! What the fuck! People don’t need to be woken up that late just because a train is coming into the station! If you’re going to blow it that late here, then don’t discriminate and avoid blowing it when you go through Oak Lawn you f’n assholes!!! I have seen kids walking near the tracks, about 10 – 20 feet away, as we pass them around the Stony Creek golf course, going towards the ridge. And the idiot engineers WON’T BLOW THE HORN to warn the kids to back away?! Absolutely stupid! And oh yeah, let’s not forget, the engineers were not trained properly how to operate the train… two accidents at the same location (87^th and Pulaski) within a one month period?! And one of the accidents caused two deaths! Nice going guys! My grade for you: failed big time! I’d give them 0 stars if I could!

One of the best commuter railroads in the world! Tremendous value for price paid, safe equipment, courteous staff, many options on timetable, and easier than driving. Thank you!

Rode the train today from Palatine to Chicago on my mobility scooter. Getting on the train using the handicapped lift was easy as the Conductor was so helpful. The ride itself was very smooth also. Don’t let a mobility issue keep you from enjoying downtown Chicago. Use Metra!

Today I rode Metra from Rt 59 station to Union Station. Normally, I am an express train commuter but I had a late start this morning and ended up riding the 9:28 train. I found a seat and put my backpack next to me and some women got on at Brookfield and asked me to remove my backpack so she could seat. I did promptly. Then she proceeded to swipe at the seat with her bag and I realized at that point she was swiping the at my coat that I was wearing because the sash was partly in her seat! (WTF) Basically, she treated my coat like trash. At this point, I quickly removed my coat and she promptly sat down with much gusto. I muttered, how rude. Then she screamed, «I have a RIGHT to a seat!» in a carriage with other riders. Then she proceeds to get on the phone and complain, «You know how you are only allowed to occupy one seat, this girl next to me wouldn’t let me sit down. I think she was having a bad day and took it out on me! Yeah, I’m not gonna let me get to me, not gonna let it get to me»
First of all, you asked for me to remove a backpack for you to sit while other seats were available, I did and you plopped your butt down. Second, you are the who treated my coat like trash. If you had the ability to ask me to remove my backpack then you could have said, please move your coat, I’d rather not sit on it. Thirdly, you screamed to an entire carriage that you had a «right» to a seat. Fourth, you proceeded to talk about the person who is sitting right next to you, less than 6 inches apart and then trash talk about that person on the phone.
It begs the question, MANNERS!!!
The ability to sit is not a right. It is a privilege. Second, if you treat someone’s items like trash then you are going to be told that you are being rude. Third, do not scream in public. Most of us have left this primitive method of communication back in preschool. Fourth, you proceed to make all assumption on the phone about the state of another person’s mind while if you have no idea of whether that is true or not WHILE the person is sitting right next to you!!! If you wanted to vent, you could’ve of just said, I’ll tell you about it later.
Conclusion: more crazy people are on the regular trains and I much prefer the commuter express train, at least on the quiet cars you can’t talk thus you can’t be insulted in this manner.
Yes the metra trains are not the best at time keeping but at least they get me to and from Chicago without having to deal with traffic.

Oh, Metra! How I have a love-​hate relationship with you! I suppose it’s not really *you* that I hate specifically — more so, I hate myself for choosing to live in a ‘burb closer to Wisconsin than to the city.
Your shiny train cars provide me with a reliable way to get there. And for that, I’m forever thankful because you could not pay me to drive to the city! I’m a piss poor driver, and I’m not sorry about that one bit. (At least I can admit it.)
In my 5+ years of commuting, I haven’t experienced any super crazy delays — save for a few notable ones where I sat in my seat a little longer than usual wondering when we could get moving.
But, I understand — we did hit a car after all, the train in front of us hit a pedestrian, inclement weather reared its ugly head upon us, someone had a medical emergency, we experienced signal/​mechanical/​engine failure or we didn’t have enough cars.
Plus, my employers never get mad at me when I’m late, since I can turn around and blame it on you. And it’s always *your* fault since I’m rarely ever late. I’ve never been late because I’ve chosen to adhere to my daily routine of tea and/​or doughnuts/​donuts no matter how close to 9:00 am I’m pushing it. Thank you for providing us with those super ambiguous slips explaining the reason for our delay. Granted, a phone call and/​or text to my office admin usually suffices, but you provide me with more solid evidence, lest I need to ever explain my tardiness.
And, while I’m showering you with praise, I have to say that I much prefer my comfy ride on your cushioned seats as opposed to the infamous «L». Not gonna lie, I’m absolutely 100% terrified of that thing. My line, the North Central, isn’t as busy as the others (it offers no weekend service) so rarely ever do I have to sit next to anyone, which is nice. I enjoy my personal space.
Pro rider tip: head to the upper level of the train car. Trust me, folks. That’s where the cool people ride. You don’t have to sit by anyone and if you’re lucky, you’ll snag a seat on the throne — the one where the seat in front of you can’t be pushed back/​forward and your stuff has its own separate spot. Oh, and if you’ve had a piss poor day at work, you can drink a beer (or two) to drown your sorrows away. You can’t do that on the «L».
And, if you’re lucky, you can snag a seat on the quiet car, which is located in specific cars on the train (they will usually have a placard in front indicating that it’s the quiet car). They are only on trains arriving downtown at or before 9:00 AM and Monday-​Friday between 3:30 and 6:30 PM. If you’re seated in one of these cars, be quiet. Don’t you dare talk on your cell phone, blare your music too loud (no matter how good it is) or converse with a friend. Someone, most likely a regular quiet car rider, will kindly tell you to pipe down and a conductor may get involved if you don’t zip it.
But, do remember to buy your tickets ahead of time. Getting charged $ 3 extra simply because you didn’t make time to buy them at the station is just stupid. At the station, they even have kiosks where you can buy tickets with your credit card. Lastly, you can travel from suburb to suburb if it pleases you — you may just have to pay a small fee to get to the other zone.
For me, the biggest downside with Metra would be the lack of trains on my line (the North Central) past 8:30 Monday-​Friday and no weekend service. It can be somewhat of a pain needing to take a train home on another line (the Milwaukee District North) if you’ve missed the 8:30 train. Plus, the wait times in between trains can vary from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on when you leave the city. The trains run less frequently than other lines.
Other issues for me arise if we’ve had a string of days when the train doesn’t run on time due to the problems I listed above, but that seems to be few and far between right now. It’s more of an issue in the winter time when the signals freeze up and whatnot.
But, honestly, I cannot see why one would choose to drive to the city if one can just take the train. The train is a far less stressful experience. Yes, the prices are somewhat high (my monthly sets me back $ 199.50, but my work covers some of the expense). You also don’t have WI-​FI, but my commute is only about an hour, so I’m not complaining. I’d rather you spend my money on making sure all your equipment runs properly.
So yeah, not much to complain about for me — so let’s keep it that way! *knocks on wood*

Prices are going up and up and up and so are the delays. I take the BNSF line and it is constantly late and the guys who take the tickets are always in a bad mood.
What did Metra do with the constant increase in fares? May have to buy a car, this is just getting out of hand.

On Monday 6÷1÷15 I boarded the 6:58 am UPNW train in Cary to the Cumberland stop. I know that only the first 6 cars stop on the platform at Cumberland and I am always on the 1^st car. This time the train overshot the platform by a couple of yards… Not the first time. I have exited the train dozens of times in the past at this same location without having to walk through the train to the next car. This time I was wearing my headphones and watched while the conductor appeared to struggle with the doors opening. When he appeared to finish and the doors were not open, I removed my headset and asked if we were going to exit here. He was little more than a foot away from my face when we aggressively and needlessly yelled that I would have to exit through the next car. He was clearly upset that I didn’t hear his previous instructions. I made sure to thank him just as loud and exited the train. Many people listen to their headsets during their commute. When I noticed something out of the ordinary and removed my headset to ask a question I should not be yelled at like a child. I followed up with Metra customer service (Sean) with a formal complaint. The following day I made sure not to even make eye contact, no problems. The day after, I again made sure not to make eye contact and proceeded to exit the train. This time I heard him clearly comment to the other passengers «…yea! Notice how he does not wear his headphones anymore». I turned around and asked him why does he feel the need to say anything at all and that it’s clear that he is talking to other passengers about me. I continued to ask him why he feels the need to continue this. He ignored me the entire time. As far as I am concerned this is harassment and I will not tolerate behavior like this. Considering my first complaint did not work, I intend on taking this to the next level to avoid being made to feel distress/​embarrassed in the morning when all I what to do is get to work. If the train simply stopped when it was supposed to, I wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with.

I dread going to work not because of my job, but because I take the BNSF line to get there. The train arrives at Union on schedule maybe 20% of the time and it is never a pleasant ride. We often stop on the tracks for 10 – 20 minutes at a time while other trains zoom past us. It is a frustrating ride, but the staff is usually very friendly (aside from one woman who berated me in front of the entire train car for showing a fake monthly pass even though it was real, and of course she never apologized.) If I had any other feasible option, I would not be taking this train line.

The absolute worst public transportation system that exists. They don’t even have a working app. They also only take cash payments on board, I remember 2007 too. I’m currently on a train that was pulling into the downtown station but then began moving backwards. And has been moving backwards for about 15 minutes. What. The. Hell? The conductor tried to blame it on some miscommunication; if this was the first time Metra made this type of mistake maybe if buy it. But really, just get your shit together, Metra.

If you’re from the far west suburbs, I’m sure it’s fine. Those who live closer have to suffer from the terrible service. Express trains fly by us. There are no mechanical errors for them? Do they not pass the same tracks? Every… Goddamn day it is delayed.
I take the 7:52 scheduled to arrive at 8:13… It never gets there at the scheduled time and always almost ALWAYS we get halted by an Amtrak. «They’ll let us in in a couple of minutes… Shouldn’t be too long now.» Except… WE ARE GOING TO WORK. We are on a tighter schedule than vacationers!
Lately the service is getting worse too. We get young guys collecting tickets who think its okay to hit on passengers working for the metra. If I wanted that I would take the CTA.
BNSF get your shit together.

Riding the 5:32 BNSF out of Union Station on car #7261. 1^st day after a hefty fare increase. Listening to the deafening PA announcements. 90 decibels to be exact if this meter on my android is accurate. It actually seems louder if you ask me.
I also have to mention the morning commute. A good 30 minutes late. Station in Westmont locked so we had to wait outside the whole time. Why are we paying for an increase? Been riding over 30 years. Metra is continually descending into 3^rd world service at 1^st world prices.

I take the 5:55 express from Downers Grove. It constantly shows up late and then they have an excuse for every day of the week. Switch issues, speed restrictions, and I’ve even heard heavy passenger loading. Every time this train is late it causes me to miss my bus and take a cab which becomes more expensive than driving. I wouldn’t mind if it was even once a week but everyday is getting old.

Ah Metra — you are a 5 star service but for one man…
Metra Union Pacific North is my ride from the city to the parents up north and back, usually a pleasant journey. As I travel most of the time on the weekend I take advantage of the Weekend Pass for $ 7.00, it is a ridiculously great deal for two days of unlimited rides on the Metra system.
Fun Fact for Ravinia goers if you do not want to be herded like cattle to the train after a concert wander one stop south to Braeside. It is only a few minute walk and hardly anyone is there so you get to hop right on board, sure you may be packed in like sardines for the run south but you will not have to wait for a few trains to get home.
In fact my only beef with the system is the new, to me, conductor who treats the riders with contempt. He roams the cars collecting fare’s and if you don’t have your money out he barks at you, if you ask for change in a specific way he barks at you, he barked at a kid who was about to get off and was trying to pay his fare (like the kid had anything to do with the other riders that did not make Mr E.E. Sutton’s life easy) it was like he thought the kid had something to do with the other riders who may not have been as up to paying protocol snuff telling him that he should not be so worried he would make it off the train as he slow counted the guys change, he barked at a guy who was I presume running to catch the train when he sat down telling him how lucky he was and that next time he would not hold the door for him, when he found out a customer was planning on returning the same day on the weekend he gave them a bit of an eye roll for not asking for the weekend fare. His overall demeanor is not a positive message for the line… unless the company line is «PAY UP!» Over the past two weekends I watched him shake down fares, I know Metra collects fares and it is not a literal shake down but he certainly makes you feel that way.
Like I said this would have been a 5 star review but that man is just so, well, off putting.

I use this train weekly and I love to be able to bring my bike on the train. So awesome way to be able to get to work. You can read, sleep, so work or just zone out. Much better than sitting in soul crushing traffic. I do wish they offered wifi that would probably attract more riders. Very friendly conductors and always clean
Much appreciated Metra!

I grew up next to the Brookfield stop of BNSF and I’ve been taking the train for as long as I can remember (literally, my very first memory is riding the train when I was 3 years old).
It’s a solid train line, very dependable, although sometimes it might be a few minutes late if you are catching it on a weekend or an afternoon time. The early morning trains are mostly on time though.
You used to be able to drink alcohol on the BNSF, but now you have to be careful – No drinking on weekends or during big Cubs games is my understanding (so, exactly when you would want to have a few brews on the train unfortunately).
All in all, a cleanly train line that is usually on time! If you are moving to the area, living next to the BNSF is a huge advantage!

3.5 stars. I feel like people will either LOVE Metra BNSF or hate it. Hardly are people middle of the road.
I’m going to be in the middle. I haven’t experienced other major metro train systems on a daily basis to comment, but BNSF is not bad. Sure you’ll have delays, but I would say 90% of the time, it’s out of BNSF’s hands. Every once in a while, somebody walks or drives in front of a train and it’ll hold up the line. The appropriate people need to conduct their actions and document the scene. It’s not pretty, but you have to deal with it.
Look at it this way, how much would it cost you to drive to work on a daily basis? How much work/​reading/​sleeping do you accomplish by taking Metra? It’s a lot. So every so often they’re late, but in the grand scheme of things, my alternatives are not pretty.

Easier and usually cheaper than Amtrak or CTA. Always on time and clean, I always get a seat since I’m the first station on the line.
WARNING: Thing that bothers me is when I take the early 5AM train, I have to buy my ticket from the conductor, and they always seem to charge way more. It says $ 6.75 on the schedule, they demand ~$ 9.25. Can’t exactly argue it either or you get booted off the train. Saw it happen to a guy. Try to buy your ticket before you get on. The conductors are practically thugs and are probably pocketing a good amount of money this way.
— – UPDATE, 4÷26÷14−−−−−−
Okay, turns out they actually have it posted that they can charge you an extra $ 3.00 if you got on at a station that sells tickets (but didn’t have time to go in and get them, or if they weren’t open)
Shifty, but whatever. I tried getting a weekend pass from the conductor the other weekend, and the guy was furious that I didn’t have a smaller bill than a $ 20 so he just went PSHH and walked away. Gave me the pass for free. That helps! ;)

You are so behind the times! The cars don’t have plugs, the seats are hard & really I have to see a ticket agent to get a ticket. When are you going to stop paying the bigwigs so much money for screwing up the system and start investing in the system.
Fire everyone and make them reapply for there jobs and start making the customers happy!

Riding the BNSF line is more than just a mistake, its a horror movie come to life!
I started taking the BNSF line 3 months after having moved to Aurora and am learning quickly what a mistake this has been. During the first two weeks I was in a state of denial but began to learned and accept that the madness I’m going thru daily is in fact a real.
The train cars are worn out and outdated yet the monthly pass for riding this horror-​coaster (for some ppl standing room only) is $ 178 *ouch*. In some cars, there is no bathroom so you have to walk down to locate one. Good luck getting your seat back if you leave, you are better off holding it for 50 mins *yikes* There is no air circulation most of the time and it seems that when you get in a car where it feels like the A/​C is on, it will soon turn off. Enjoy the steamy 1 hr ride.
The people are rude and have no respect for anyone, whether a lady or handy-​capped, pregnant or ill, each man woman animal to him/​herself. You could discipline a monkey to be move civilized than the people riding this train. I’ve witnessed several arguments between different people, its as if everyone is always on the edge and ready to punch someone — so far no altercations, but I think its not far away — I just hope I’m not part of it. Just a few weeks ago, some man pushed a lady out of the way just so he could get off quickly saying «get out of my way».
Ladies are no better. Some lady pushed me back so she can get in front of me to stand in the isle. Are you stupid? what difference is that going to make, there are hundreds of people still ahead of you. Dahh!
People will push and shove to cut you and take your seat. The entry doors into each car is smaller than other metra trains on different lines (UP-​NW or N), so each time its a major bottleneck to even get on the train the car. People are loud and obnoxious, the ride is bumpy and loud, so much so that you cant sleep or study or do any work peacefully. Then you have the loud talkers who just dont care.
Dont ever put your bag or personal belonging in the 4-​seater, you know what I’m talking about. People will come and move it and sit with you. Its a 4-​seater but its too tight for 4 people. Your knees touch and its uncomfortable, but people dont care, they will still come sit with you. But you cant blame them, its better than standing for an hour — yes thats how long it can take on an express train from Route 59 to Union. I have yet to see a 40 or 45 min express make it on time. Every day the train is late and there is no explanation.
The route 59 parking lot is no better. I’ve seen people almost get run over by cars because there is no courtesy to yield way to pedestrians. Will it kill you to let people walk to their cars?
Its always a bottleneck to even get out of the parking lot. People dont care, they just want to get to their car and go. They dont care if you are in their way. One time (not by intent) I was standing in the area where doors open. Once the train arrived at Route 59 and I got off, I was caught in a stampede of people running down the ramp thru the underpass and towards the parking lot. I felt cheap and weird and uncivilized to be part of it. But what was I suppose to do? It was either run for your life or be run over. People of all ages were running, men and women. still I was caught in the parking bottleneck.
Let me end it with this. Today, after a long time, I realized that I didn’t purchase my monthly pass in advance and today is July 1^st ’13 and new pass is needed to get on. I wait in line which appeared to be of at least 200 people just to get into the station which then had a pretzel shape line inside to buy a train pass. It took me 1 hr just to buy a train pass and there was only 1 teller at the window. Of all the days, does BNSF not know people would be buying train pass on the first of the month and staff accordingly? WTF!
I’m not expecting this to get better and I’m certainly not getting use to this. I do hope that my fellow sane riders find this review helpful that they would think twice before deciding to move in this area or riding the BNSF line. If you dont live in this area, run for your life and save yourself from this agony!!!

Living in California, we have trains that go all over the place, but they don’t really meet up or *join* together which would actually entice one into taking public transportation. That’s why everyone in California drives. Someday we’ll have our BART extension in early 2025 or so and we’ll have bragging rights like Chicago.
I was ecstatic when I was able to download the *Embark Metra* app on my phone a do a trip planner to get into Chicago, and I also found an *Embark CTA* app for the *L* also.
What is nice about the Metra UPW line that we took, you are able to pay the conductor once you’ve boarded. Upon our return to suburbia, the departure screens told us which track that our train was on. (You may think this is funny that I am pointing something out as simplistic as a labeled train track, but I dare anyone to go see if they can find their way out of San Jose Diridon by reading the non-​existent signs.)
Very punctual, not overly crowded, and relatively clean trains. I was a bit surprised that the windows are still tinted green. I thought that was put on there in the 70’s so you didn’t notice how dirty Chicago was back then!