Metra Begins New Service to Heritage Corridor

Submitted by Metra.

Chicago, IL - Metra officials, CN Railway representatives and area leaders who campaigned for more service on the Heritage Corridor line celebrated Monday the inaugural run of a new mid-afternoon departure from Chicago Union Station to Joliet.

The new 2:45 p.m. departure from Union Station expands weekday service on the line from six to seven trains (three inbound morning trains and four outbound afternoon/evening trains), adding a convenient early departure option for Heritage Corridor customers.

The train makes stops at Summit, Willow Springs, Lemont and Lockport before arriving at its final destination in Joliet at 3:50 p.m.

On hand for the first 2:45 p.m. train were Metra Board Chairman Martin Oberman; Metra Board Members Jack Partelow, Norman Carlson, Ken Koehler and Brian Reaves (the mayor of Lemont, one of the communities served by the line); Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno; U.S. House Transportation Committee Senior Member Dan Lipinski (IL-3), whose efforts and support were critical to launching the extra service, and Canadian National Senior Vice President, Southern Region, John Orr.

The new service is the result of years of effort by Metra, Lipinski and other elected officials along the route to add service to the Heritage Corridor. The added train required agreements from CN, which owns the tracks and operates freight service on the line, as well as Amtrak, the owner of Union Station.

“After fighting for years for additional service on Metra’s Heritage Corridor Line, I am very happy that we have been successful in getting riders another option,” Lipinski said. “I want to thank Metra – especially Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno and Board Member and Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves – for their hard work on this. I am pleased that CN and Amtrak found a way to allow the additional train. There is great demand along this line and it will continue to grow. While this is a good first step, more needs to be done to provide the service that the residents of southwestern Cook County and northeastern Will County deserve.”