Metra Rock Island service expansion will begin June 1. Additional trains are scheduled on weekdays and weekends. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Metra Rock Island service expansion: June 1 changes
Photo: NBC5

In a Metra press release, the agency said weekday service will receive added trains. Also, weekend service will rise to 40 trains on Saturdays and 40 trains on Sundays. That gives both weekend days the same level of service.

Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement that riders had asked for more evening and weekend options.

“Rock Island riders have made it clear that they want additional evening and weekend service to allow more flexibility, whether they’re traveling to the city or the South Side and suburbs,” Derwinski said. “We’re also taking this opportunity to expand weekend service so that the schedules on both Saturdays and Sundays are the same, making the schedules more convenient and easier to understand for both regular and occasional riders.”

The changes cover both train frequency and selected station stops along the route.

Rock Island Line trains and route

The Rock Island Line runs for more than 40 miles between LaSalle Street Station in Chicago and Joliet. Metra said the route serves 26 stations across Cook and Will counties. In 2019, it ranked fifth in ridership among Metra’s 11 lines.

The line ends at Joliet station. It also serves Amtrak trains on the Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service lines, according to the agency.

Separately, Metra has been working with Amtrak on the Rock Island Intercity Improvement project. The project is aimed at adding capacity and rehabilitating infrastructure along the route.

June 1 schedule and stop changes

Other schedule adjustments are also set for June 1. Metra said multiple trains will add stops at Gresham, 95th Street/Longwood and 103rd Street/Washington Heights on weekdays and weekends.

At the same time, Beverly Branch trains will no longer serve 123rd Street and Prairie Street during weekday off-peak periods. In addition, those stops will be removed from weekend trains. Metra is directing riders to use the 119th Street station instead.

The agency said more details about the project are available on its website.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Rs 993 crore Chennai rail doubling project approved