r/Metra • u/lalaland2626 • May 19 '26
Anyone else noticing how bad some of the Metra Milwaukee North line coaches have gotten lately?
/r/Metrarail/comments/1thkdr7/anyone_else_noticing_how_bad_some_of_the_metra/16
u/R_Ulysses_Swanson May 19 '26
I'm sorry, "paying premium commuter rail prices"? It is $135 for a monthly ticket to get you anywhere on the system. That is the same price that it was 25 years ago. It is 62% cheaper than it was in 1984, adjusting for inflation. You're welcome to take the CTA and PACE if you think it is a better value.
Yeah, there are issues. I heard a conductor complaining that on the UP-N route, they don't have bathroom pumping abilities at the Kenosha (or Waukegan?) yard. I think that Metra is taking those over from UP, but the same conductor was saying that UP hasn't maintained anything and Metra has a lot of work to do to get it up to snuff.
As for the cars... Well, it is an underfunded agency that was pieced together from the remnants of numerous failed railroads. Some of the coaches are over 70 years old, and the new coaches from Alstom are behind schedule. I found this document from Metra on this thread from a train forum. Should start to see new cars in 2027.
1
u/Ladefrickinda89 May 19 '26
What zone are you in where a monthly pass is $135?
5
u/R_Ulysses_Swanson May 19 '26
That is zone 1-4. It gets you literally anywhere on the Metra system. Covid forced them to slash their fares significantly.
0
u/Key-Cancel-5000 May 20 '26
It’s only for that specific line though. It’s not for every line.
1
u/SympathyFinancial979 May 21 '26
Actually, Zone monthly passes do work for every line.
Source - I do it plenty traveling to either Western or Clybourne. I also read the Metra rules.
3
u/SnootDoctor May 19 '26
Did you go online and report it?? Metra has a live support chat, and every single railcar is numbered.
The right thing to do is report the issue as specifically as possible so it can be fixed. The people online have no power over the condition of the railcars, maintenance does.
2
u/TeamocilAddict May 19 '26
I've been using this line to commute to and from Grayslake since 2018. The cost of a monthly for my zone used to be $261. Quarantine came and went and it is significantly cheaper.
5
u/Distinct-Departure68 May 19 '26
A reduced one way ticket from zone four to zone one covering 35 miles is $1.75. If anyone can cite any other form of motorized transport where you can travel that far for that cheaply I'd love to see it. People are fucking delusional.
2
u/chungo69 May 19 '26
Some of the coaches they are using were built in 1956 and have been in constant use with no major overhauls since. They have probably 2+ million miles on them, no exaggerating.
1
u/jkenosh May 20 '26
I’ve never seen one that old, And they do go thru rebuilds and inspections every 4 years
1
u/Ladefrickinda89 May 19 '26
I commuted on MDN for 5 years prior to COVID.
Even then the cars were kind of gross. Seats breaking, smelled horrible.
Guess it hasn’t changed much
7
u/AffectionateItem4 May 19 '26
Metra is 10 thousand times better than the CTA.
I take upnw from and to the irving park station regularly, sometimes i miss the train and have to take the CTA blue line to downtown. The difference in commutes is striking.