Metra in February completed its 12th straight month of meeting or exceeding its on-time performance goal, posting a rate of 96.4 percent for the month. The February rate exceeded the five-year average for the month of February of 93.1 percent.
Metra’s goal is to operate at least 95 percent of its trains on time. Like the rest of the U.S. commuter railroad industry, Metra considers a train to have operated on time if it reaches its final destination within five minutes and 59 seconds of its scheduled arrival.
“We are extremely proud that for 12 straight months, a full year, we have met or exceeded our on-time performance goal,” said Metra Executive Director and CEO Don Orseno. “But we certainly won’t rest on that accomplishment – we know we can always improve and we will always strive to do so.”
In February, 599 of 16,695 trains were tardy by six minutes or more. The most common cause for delays was switch failure and weather. Mechanical problems, freight interference and right-of-way accidents were other major causes of Metra train delays in February.
