The Chicago region’s Metra is taking on several station improvement projects. Construction work began during the first week of April and will continue through fall 2023, weather permitting.
Metra is focusing nearly a quarter of its annual capital spending ($119.5 million) on rebuilding and renewing station facilities. Metra’s five-year plan includes improvement projects for about 20 percent of its 242 – soon to be 244 – stations.
“Clean, modern, and accessible passenger facilities are an integral part of a good customer experience and create a welcoming gateway to a community,” said Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski. “For that reason, our capital plans over the next several years are focused on investments in stations across the Metra system.”
Work is continuing this year at Metra’s 147th St. Station with six additional stations scheduled to start:
- Homewood Station
- 95th Station
- 79th Station
- 87th Station
- 103rd Station
- Millennium (South Water entrance) Station
Each project will completely renew station facilities and focus on accessibility features, such as elevators, to ensure people can easily access Metra's system.
In addition, Metra is planning to replace the existing wooden platforms at the 83rd Street and 67th Street stations and the stairs and retaining walls at 27th Street. Major station projects are also being planned in 2024 for the Van Buren, 59th-60th St./University of Chicago, 111th St./Pullman and Harvey stations.
Construction is ongoing at two new stations: The Peterson Ridge Station on the Union Pacific North Line, slated for completion this year, and the Auburn Park Station on the Rock Island Line, scheduled for completion in 2024.
On its Milwaukee District North Line, the Grayland Station is being rebuilt in conjunction with the replacement of a 124-year-old bridge over Milwaukee Avenue. Metra is also finishing the rehab of Blue Island Vermont Street on the Rock Island Line and the new inbound platform and shelters at Ravenswood on the UP North Line.
Preserving the historic station facilities across the Metra system is also a part of the 2023 capital program, with major rehabilitation projects set to begin on the 132-year-old Kenilworth Station on the UP North Line and the 97-year-old LaGrange Road Station on the BNSF Line.
Platform replacement and repair projects are scheduled at Grayslake on the Milwaukee District North Line, Wood Dale and Big Timber on the Milwaukee District West Line, Brainerd on the Rock Island Line, Oak Lawn/Patriot on the SouthWest Service, Kenosha and Clybourn on the UP North Line and Kedzie on the UP West Line.
Other station improvements planned in 2023 include the addition of 340 new bicycle parking spaces across Metra, with projects at 17 stations. Metra will also be focusing on smaller ADA accessibility projects such as replacing worn tactile edging on its platforms and improving pathways at station facilities.
Metra plans to replace nearly 210,000 crossties, at least 7,500 feet of rail and 24 crossings in 2023. Metra is also planning two separate projects to test new technologies that monitor the performance of safety equipment at rail crossings, with the goal of using that data to proactively identify maintenance needs.
Each of the projects will enhance Metra service to help grow ridership and provide mobility choices for the entire Chicago region.
The Chicago area’s congressional delegation helped secure $204.1 million in competitive federal grants for projects in 2022, including $86.6 million for station projects – the most by far in any year in Metra’s history. The state of Illinois, Cook County and local communities have also been essential funding partners.
Most work will be performed during off-peak hours and on weekends. Metra will issue construction schedules for its trains during some of these projects. Construction schedules are issued when workers need to be on or very near the tracks, requiring trains to reduce speed or stop before proceeding through the construction zone. The schedules can add 10 to 15 minutes to the length of a trip.
Metra’s list of the projects planned for 2023 can be viewed on Metra’s website.
