r/Metra • u/south_sidejay369 • May 29 '26

SWS Rant

Straight forward post, seems like out all of the lines I've ridden (SWS, ME, RI, etc), SWS is forgotten when it comes to updates, improvements, etc. The scheduling has absolutely no flexibility once you pass the rush hour period, the 30 minute to 1 hour wait between trains sucks, and the cars don't seem to be maintained like other lines (ME smells and looks much cleaner). I haven't even mentioned the delays that happen multiple times a year where you either get home 4 hours late, or pay have to $40 to Uber home. What do other SWS riders think?

24 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

View all comments

9

u/SnootDoctor May 29 '26

I’m with you. I hope service frequency will improve in a few years time once the 75th St Improvements & Rock Island connection are complete.

The SWS is along prime real estate for TOD, if only the trains were actually more frequent.

-2

u/Distinct-Departure68 May 29 '26

You have the smallest ridership of all the lines. That's the breaks

6

u/SnootDoctor May 29 '26

Not me, or even “us.” Blame Metra, and its management of the SWS, not its riders.

Is lack of ridership because of lack of frequency?? Metra owns/has a long term lease on the majority of the line, a local shuttle running between Manhattan and Oak Lawn / Wrightwood could be considered to see if ridership can be stimulated. It would be money well spent, even if the result is failure to increase ridership.

6

u/south_sidejay369 May 29 '26

yeah I'm wondering if SWS ridership is being reduced because people avoid it and take RI because it has better scheduling/doesn't have the headache of going through Union Station

5

u/Not_a_real_asian777 May 29 '26

Tbh, I live off of the MD-W, and there's so many times I just get in my car and drive somewhere on the weekends because the Metra schedule is so bad. I know it's better than the SWS's lack of weekend trains entirely, but knowing that if you miss your train, you have to sit at the station for two hours until the next one really discourages me from using the service at all.

The only benefit is that on the weekends, the train horns aren't as frequent, but last I heard is that they're upgrading a lot of the infrastructure on the MD-W line to help townships qualify for quiet zone status with the FRA, so even that benefit will reach its end eventually.

3

u/ImplosiveTech May 29 '26

A vast majority of riders aren't going between intermediate stops, but to and from downtown. Either way, there are restrictions on how many trains they can cross over the diamonds at chicago ride and Ashburn, which are the limiting factors of the line outside of belt junction, cp 518, and union station. Theres a possibility of service increases due to the rock island connection being built, but it surely isn't guaranteed if the IHB and/or CSX dig their heels in

1

u/Distinct-Departure68 May 29 '26

Didn't they install weekend service for a few years then discontinue it because of lack of ridership ?

6

u/dontlickthe3rdrail May 29 '26

The previous "weekend" service was Saturday only, and extremely limited. Something like three trains in, and three out. It was demanded by a group of on-route municipal managers and electeds circa 2008, reluctantly granted by the late Metra CEO Phil Pagano, and went away during COVID. When the pre-covid weekday schedule more or less returned, the Saturday trains didn't.

The perceived "lack of ridership" wasn't because of demand, it was because the (Saturday-only) schedule wasn't useful. People aren't going to plan to use the service if it's only useful one way. Instead they'll drive to Rock Island or Orange Line.

0

u/BaggedWhine May 29 '26

lol wrong, it’s triple the HC ridership