Due to the extreme cold weather forecast for the Chicago region this week, Metra will operate a modified schedule on Thursday, January 31, 2019. In addition, on all other Metra lines Thursday night, there will be no outbound trains departing Chicago after 10:40 p.m. The last inbound trains are scheduled to arrive downtown Chicago by 10:49 p.m. All later inbound and outbound trains are canceled. Schedules vary from line to line, so customers are advised to check the schedule specific to their line for exact train times.
Metra Electric train service has been suspended Wednesday and Thursday, January 30th and 31st due to extreme cold weather. Metra's goal is to restore service on the Metra Electric line by Friday, February 1st. Customers may consider using the Rock Island, Pace, and CTA as alternate transportation. Metra tickets will be honored on the CTA red line along with the following CTA and Pace bus routes: 71, 26, 28, 6, J14, 2, 1, 352, 353, and 359.
Modified schedules for each Metra line can be found here. The schedules are designed to provide adequate service for the predicted ridership. The schedules will also reduce the use of mechanical equipment and the number of moves through switch points on the railroad, thereby minimizing opportunities for service disruptions.
Riders are also advised that travel times will increase due to speed restrictions that reduce maximum speeds for Metra trains to 60 mph when the temperatures drop lower than 10 below zero. Additional schedule changes may be made as conditions dictate and customers should monitor platform announcements and follow service advisories posted on metrarail.com.
Metra’s intent with this modified schedule is to preserve the safety of our passengers during this extreme weather event. Extra personnel will be deployed throughout the event to address mechanical and track issues.