CHICAGO — Metra will launch a pilot program at downtown stations in April that asks riders to show paper tickets or activate those on their smartphones prior to boarding trains.
Only selected trains will be involved in the program that begins April 6, according to a Metra press release. One goal of the program, which will stop passengers at platform entrances to present their paper ticket or the QR code from their Ventra app, is to test the speed, durability, and functionality of handheld devices that will be used to scan both. The test will initially involve off-peak trains but may be expanded if the initial program goes smoothly.
Metra says the results from the program could be useful when the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, the new parent agency for Chicago-region transit services, is launched later this year. The NITA was created under legislation last fall that addressed funding shortfalls for Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and bus operator Pace [see “Illinois legislature passes bill …,” Trains.com, Oct. 31, 2025]. The new agency has been charged with integrating fares of the three operators, and the handheld scanners could be part of that process.
The Metra pilot program will also gather information on how many use paper or Ventra tickets, where and when tickets are purchase, and passenger destinations, which could also be helpful for the NITA.
The pilot program will also speed fare collection on board trains by eliminating the wait for passengers to launch their Ventra tickets, and by requiring passengers to buy a ticket before boarding.
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