Metra Adds New Trains To UP-North Line As New Edgewater Station Opens

CHICAGO — New rush hour trains will be added to Metra's Union Pacific North Line schedule on May 20, coinciding with the opening of a new station in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood.

The four new UP-North trains will relieve congestion for riders commuting to and from the North Shore, according to Metra officials.

“In addition to the new trains, riders in Kenosha and Waukegan as well as reverse commuters will now have more options," Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said in a statement. "The grand opening of our new station at Peterson/Ridge also provides another much-needed access point to our service.”

The UP North Line has had a strong rebound in post-pandemic ridership, according to Metra officials, who said they were looking into ways to improve weekend service and hoped to announce schedule improvements by the end of the year.

Here are the new trains:

• Train No. 390: New inbound train departs Waukegan at 5:35 a.m. and arrives in Chicago at 6:55 a.m., making all stops
• Train No. 392: New inbound train departs Winnetka at 7:53 a.m. and arrives in Chicago by 8:35 a.m.
• Train No. 393: New outbound evening train departs Chicago at 4:50 p.m. and gets to Winnetka at 5:28 p.m., while arriving in Ravinia Park 10 minutes later during summer concert season.
• Train No. 309: New outbound morning train leaves Chicago at 6:40 a.m. and arrives in Highland Park at 7:34 a.m.

The new Peterson/Ridge Metra station has been a dozen years in the making.

Construction was first delayed by state budget constraints before issues with obtaining permits from Chicago Water Management officials further postponed construction.

Officials broke ground on the $19 million project in November 2021, predicting it would take about 18 months to finish.

“This project has been years in the making, and I'm very grateful and very proud to have been able to help bring it along to this day” Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez, 40th Ward, said at the time. “A new transit hub connecting our neighborhoods to downtown and to the North Shore will strengthen our ward’s accessibility, affordability, and diversity, and I look forward to working with Metra to complete the project.”

The project was funded through a $15 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with the rest covered by the Federal Transit Administration.

Following the announcement of the May 20 opening day, representatives of Vasquez's office said they are working with city transportation officials to develop a "holistic bike and pedestrian safety plan for the area surrounding the station."

In addition to adding the new trains, Metra officials have adjusted midday train departures to accommodate the new Peterson/Ridge station.

Metra officials said they adjusted the schedule based on requests from riders

"We continue to monitor customer feedback and this new schedule shows that we are listening," Derwinski said.

Read more: New Metra UP-North Line full weekday, weekend schedule — effective May 20, 2024