Metra

Metra, officially the Commuter Rail Division of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, (reporting mark METX) is a commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area that forms part of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA). It serves the city of Chicago, suburban Cook County, the five Illinois collar counties, and Kenosha, Wisconsin. It operates 243 stations and 11 commuter rail services from four terminal stations in downtown Chicago. Metra is the fourth busiest commuter rail system in the United States by ridership and the largest and busiest commuter rail system outside the New York City metropolitan area. In 2025, the system had a ridership of approximately 38 million, or about 167,400 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2026. The estimated busiest day for Metra ridership occurred on November 4, 2016—the day of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory rally, with a record 460,000+ passengers. Metra is the descendant of numerous passenger rail services dating to the 1850s. The present system dates to 1974, when the Illinois General Assembly established the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) to consolidate transit operations in the Chicago area, including commuter rail as a public utility. The RTA's creation was a result of the anticipated withdrawal of commuter service operated and owned by various private railroad companies in the 1970s. In a 1983 reorganization, the RTA placed commuter rail under a newly formed Commuter Rail Division, which branded itself as Metra in 1985. As of May 2025, the BNSF Railway remains the only private freight rail company under a purchase-of-service agreement with Metra. Metra owns all rolling stock and is responsible for all stations along with the respective municipalities. Since its inception, Metra has directed more than $5 billion into the commuter rail system of the Chicago metropolitan area alongside the CTA. In January...