Metra unveiled proposed revisions to its Metra Electric Line schedule Monday and is asking riders for feedback.
The proposed changes will mostly affect trains arriving or departing from Millennium Station during rush hour periods from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, Metra said in a statement.
Some of the major changes include dividing the suburban part of rush hour schedules into trains serving two groups of stations instead of the current three groups. Metra said the size of trains will be adjusted to account for additional customers. It will also improve cross-platform transfers to and from express trains for Blue Island branch riders during inbound and outbound peak periods and South Chicago branch service during off-peak times.
To review the new schedule and provide feedback, take the online survey now through March 1. Metra said it may revise the proposal based on feedback, with a goal of implementing the new schedule later in the spring.
The new schedule includes changes made necessary by the implementation of the new Positive Train Control, or PTC, safety system.
PTC is a federally mandated safety system that will automatically stop a train if the engineer fails to obey a signal or exceeds the speed limit. The system integrates GPS, track side sensors and communications units, on-board computers and Metra’s centralized train dispatching system.
