Metra officials have announced a plan to expand service on both weekdays and weekends on the Rock Island Line beginning next month.
According to a press release, Metra will add additional trains during the week on the line, and will expand weekend service to 40 trains on both Saturday and Sunday, making the service equal on both weekend days.
“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,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski in a statement. “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 Rock Island line covers more than 40 miles, traveling from Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station to Joliet. In all the trains cover 26 stations in Cook and Will counties, according to the agency. As of 2019 it was the fifth-most traveled train line among Metra’s 11 service lines.
The line terminates at the Joliet station, which also services Amtrak trains on the Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service lines, according to the agency.
Metra has been embarking on the Rock Island Intercity Improvement project along with Amtrak, aiming to add capacity and rehabilitate infrastructure along the line.
Several other changes will also take effect on June 1, including adding stops at Gresham, 95th Street/Longwood and 103rd Street/Washington Heights on multiple weekday and weekend trains, the agency said.
Those stops will also be added on weekend trains.
Finally, Beverly Branch trains will no longer make stops in off-peak hours at 123rd Street and Prairie Street on weekdays, and those stops will also be eliminated on weekend trains. Riders are encouraged to use the 119th Street station.
More information on the project can be found on Metra’s website.
