CHICAGO — Metra will add four trains — two daily round trips — the weekday schedule for the Metra Electric District’s Blue Island Branch as of Aug. 14, the commuter operator announced Tuesday.
Those trains, and adjustments to the current 18 daily trains on the branch, will also address ridership trends and service gaps to Hyde Park and areas south of the 115th Street/Kensington station. Reverse-peak ridership on the Electric line now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, Metra says, and the new schedule addresses this.
The new schedules are available here. Metra’s announcement also has information on the new trains and schedule adjustments.
“Ridership is growing as more people return to a regular commuting schedule. Adding trains makes Metra a more viable option for people living along the line,” Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski said. “We will continue to make periodic schedule adjustments to meet the changing needs of Metra riders and provide our riders with reliable schedule information.”
The additions bring Metra Electric service levels to 85% of pre-pandemic levels. Current weekday ridership is about 60% of pre-pandemic figures.
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