Metra News Release

News Release

Metra UP North line offers relief to CTA riders

Chicago, March 5, 2007 - Metra plans to add trains and stops to its Union Pacific North Line to offer alternatives to northside Chicago Transit Authority riders facing service reductions on the Red, Brown and Purple "L" lines. The UP-North schedule changes include running the summer Ravinia special train year-round, adding a total of six new trains to the weekday total, and inserting stops in northside communities on five existing runs.
The changes will add more than 1,000 seats to Metra's capacity and offer commuting options in wake of the CTA track work between Belmont and Fullerton beginning in April.
"Metra embraces the opportunity to welcome new riders to its UP-North route and assist commuters as the CTA expands capacity on its Brown Line," said Metra Executive Director Philip A. Pagano. "Working together with the CTA we can help minimize the disruption while encouraging the use of public transportation."
The new UP-North schedule goes into effect April 2, the Monday the CTA plans to begin the latest phase of the Brown Line capacity expansion project. Revised UP-North schedules will be released later this month.
The UP-North line runs between Kenosha, Wis. and Ogilvie Transportation Center carrying nearly 16,000 passengers a day in each direction. The line runs west of the Purple and Red lines and crosses the Brown line in the city's Roscoe Village neighborhood. It has stops at Clybourn, Ravenswood, and Rogers Park in Chicago, as well as stops at Main Street, Davis Street and Central Street in Evanston.
Riders from the Clybourn stop fall in fare zone A and can purchase monthly passes for rides to downtown for $52.65. Rogers Park and Ravenswood riders fall in fare zone B where a monthly pass to downtown costs $58.05. A monthly pass from any of the Evanston stations to downtown costs $82.35. Metra expects additional ridership to cover the cost of the new service.
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