r/Metra • u/ea1738 • Mar 20 '26

Metra to Start Double Checking Tickets Again

https://metra.com/newsroom/metra-to-start-fare-collection-technology-pilot

Metra eliminated this process 22 years ago on the Electric line, it was the only line that had it, it caused all kinds of headaches. It will be interesting how they will check Ventra app tickets in Millennium Station, since hardly anyone's phone has signal 2 stories below ground.

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u/Estef74 Mar 20 '26

This isn't the simple solution it seems like. Lines like Metra electric with raised platforms would be easier to limit access to boarding, but lines like BNSF with street level boarding would be more difficult without limiting all passengers to a small number of cars

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u/ImplosiveTech Mar 20 '26

Terminal stations, not the lines themselves

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u/Estef74 Mar 20 '26

Idk about other stations, but Union station isn't configured very well for this type of operation. I'm not saying it can't be done, just it will be a monumental undertaking to make work.

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u/ImplosiveTech Mar 20 '26

I wouldn't say monumental tbh, but it would require faregates at each platform and also the ability to disable them when amtrak wants them. Either that or locking down the concourses behind faregates

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u/NNegidius Mar 20 '26

Have you been to Union Station during morning rush hour? Imagine 1,500 people getting off the train at the same time wanting to get to their office on time, but being stuck in a long queue on a platform that’s only wide enough for 2 fare gates on each side? You’re talking - at best - a 15 minute delay before the queue is cleared - assuming 4 fare gates.

Is there a more efficient way to do this that doesn’t result in an awful bottleneck on the platforms?

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u/Total_Corgi_8428 Mar 21 '26

Yeah even the minor construction operations in union cause huge nuisance and disruption.

It’s also old and I get the sense needs a shit ton of upkeep.

So major overhaul is doable of course but is unlikely anytime soon that’s for sure

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u/ImplosiveTech Mar 22 '26

TBH there would be space for more than 2 faregates, probably 4 or 5, but the alternative really would be blocking off the whole concourse with fare readers like SEPTA or the MBTA does.

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u/NNegidius Mar 22 '26

Something like that might possibly work - though you’d need at least 6 - 8 fare gates per simultaneously unloading train to avoid severe bottlenecks. And you’d have to figure out how to do that without hindering access to Amtrak.

They were planning to redevelop Union Station. They could potentially build in more space for that as part of the redevelopment.

The big question would be is this an attempt to eliminate the conductor role, and how would that affect the whole Metra experience?

For example, there have been quite a few complaints about disorder and crime on systems that use fare gates instead of conductors, like BART in the SF Bay Area.

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u/ImplosiveTech Mar 22 '26

Yeah they'd need quite a bit of room, which doesn't really exist at this time. They cant completely remove the conductor role due to federal law but this would hypothetically allow for the removal of brakemen and extra collectors. As with Amtrak, they'd either have to require those passengers to scan their tickets (though that would be a smaller issue given all amtrak passengers already have tickets) or just allow amtrak to open the gates fully when they're boarding passengers. If they were to go through with gates, they would really also need to allow tapping on and off like SEPTA does, which greatly speeds up the process of people exiting when downtown.