Just in time for summer fun, Metra is significantly boosting weekend service on the BNSF Line, adding trains on Saturdays and even more on Sundays to create the same schedule for both weekend days. There will also be weekday changes on the new schedule, which starts on Monday, April 29.
“We continue to listen to our riders and adjust our schedules to meet their needs,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “We’re especially excited to be able to offer more weekend service so that Metra is an even better option for anyone wanting to enjoy all the events and attractions that are part of summer in Chicago.”
Metra will be adding six trains to the BNSF Line’s Saturday schedule and 16 trains to the line’s Sunday schedule. The changes will result in the same level of service on both weekend days, with inbound hourly service from 5 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and outbound hourly service from 10 a.m. to midnight.
As part of the change, trains on the new weekend schedule will no longer stop at the LaGrange Stone Avenue Station. The current weekday off-peak schedule skips some stops, including Stone Avenue, to improve the speed and reliability of service, and Metra wants to use that same pattern on weekends. The stations that are skipped all have alternative stations nearby with full service; in the case of Stone Ave., the LaGrange Road Station is nearby.
Weekday schedule changes include adjusting departure times for off-peak local trains so that each train after 9 a.m. departs Aurora at five past the hour. This change will also affect the departure times from intermediate stations along the route.
The departure times of three morning outbound trains are also being adjusted. Train 1201 will now depart Chicago 2 minutes earlier at 5:33 a.m., Train 1205 will depart 4 minutes earlier at 6:16 a.m. and Train 1211 will depart 1 minute earlier at 6:46 a.m.
In addition, the Fairview Avenue Station is being added as a stop on all off-peak local trains. Trains 1205, 1211, 1272 and 1276 will make stops at Westmont, and Train 1205 will also add a stop at Halsted Street.
BNSF Line riders are encouraged to review the new schedule for changes that may impact them. A copy of the new schedule can be found here.
A Spanish language version of this release is available here.