New Metra Rock Island Line Schedule Finalized; Begins January 28, 2019

Metra recently unveiled a new Rock Island Line schedule that includes changes necessary for the new Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system, as well as some service enhancements such as new express trains. The new schedule will start on a trial basis on Jan. 28. In crafting the new schedule, Metra considered the comments of more than 800 people who emailed the agency about the initial proposed schedule and made adjustments where possible. For example, the final schedule:

• Restores the departure times from LaSalle Street Station of outbound Train 405 to 2:55 p.m. and outbound Train 407 to 3:45 p.m.
• Turns inbound Train 408, arriving at LaSalle Street at 7:22 a.m., into an express train from Tinley Park-80th Avenue (with stops at Blue Island-Vermont St. and 35th St./“Lou” Jones)
• Retains the proposed train that arrives downtown before 6 a.m. (Train 400, arriving at LaSalle at 5:38 a.m.) and the proposed outbound mainline train that departs from LaSalle Street at 7:05 p.m. (Train 423)

The pilot schedule will go into effect on Jan. 28 and operations and ridership patterns will be evaluated over the next few months. Customers are urged to view the new schedule at metrarail.com to see if their train or station stop is affected. No changes were made to the weekend schedule. The full release issued by Metra with more information about the Positive Train Control system can be found here.