CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra will introduce a major upgrade to its SouthWest Service schedule as of Jan. 16, increasing the number of weekday trains from 12 to 30 as part of a pilot program.
“As we have done on other lines, we are adjusting the schedule on the SouthWest Service to meet increasing demand and to meet the need for more flexibility from My Metra riders,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a press release.
The new schedule is available here. Changes on the route between Chicago Union Station and Manhattan, Ill., will include the introduction of an express train in each direction; later evening departures from Chicago; increased service to outlying stations, compared to pre-COVID schedules; and syncing off-peak times with other lines to provide transfer opportunities at Union Station.
The SouthWest Service, originally a Wabash Railroad operation, was operated by Norfolk Southern prior to Metra assuming full operation in 1993. Service was extended to the current terminus of Manhattan in 2006. The route does not currently see weekend operation.
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