Anniversary Issue 1984-2014 30 years of Metra On June 8, 1984, a new entity Rail Service Board was created created to oversee all of Chi- to oversee all commuter rail cago’s various commuter rail operations. That board would not operations held its fi rst meeting only operate the Rock Island and in downtown Chicago. Milwaukee lines with its NIRC Like a newborn baby whose subsidiary, but also assumed parents can’t settle on a name, responsibility for overseeing the the new entity went by the purchase-of-service agreements generic “Commuter Rail Service with the Burlington Northern Board” for about a year. It wasn’t (now the BNSF Line), Chicago until July 12, 1985 that the board and North Western (now the adopted the name “Metra” for its three UP lines), Illinois Central operations in northeast Illinois. Gulf (now the Metra Electric and Lowell Anderson, a board Heritage Corridor) and Norfolk member who worked with staff and Western (now the SouthWest to come up with the name, said Service). The board had com- they wanted a name “that not plete authority over fares, service only tells what we do, but also levels, system performance and The fi rst North Central Service train rolls down the tracks on where we do it. The consolida- capital improvements. August 18, 1996. tion of ‘metropolitan’ and ‘rail’ At the same time, a suburban fi lls the bill perfectly.” when voters in the six-county locomotives and cars. bus division was created. (Happy But if June 8, 1984 is our Chicago area created the Re- But when the Rock Island Birthday to Pace, too!) The RTA birthday, our roots go back a lot gional Transportation Authority and then the Milwaukee Road remained as the parent organi- further. You could say they go to keep the system running. Its railroads declared bankruptcy in zation for the CTA, Metra and back more than 100 years, when mission was to coordinate and the late 1970s and early 1980s, Pace, which are known as the several freight railroads operated assist public transportation and the rules changed. The RTA took three service boards. commuter – or as it was often to serve as the conduit for state over the commuter operations The name Metra was adopted known, suburban – service in and federal subsidies needed to and eventually bought the tracks to bring a unifi ed identity to the Chicago. keep the system operational. of those railroads. It created region’s patchwork of commuter Or you could look to the late The RTA did not at fi rst a commuter rail division, the rail services. “When we sell 1960s and early 1970s, when the directly operate commuter rail Northeast Illinois Railroad Cor- ‘Metra’ to potential new riders, transportation system was failing service but paid the railroads to poration, to operate those lines they’ll know we mean an entire across the region, with the CTA, do so under purchase-of-service in 1982. rail service for the whole metro- suburban bus companies and agreements. It also began to But that wasn’t the end of politan area,” said Jeffrey Ladd, freight railroads experiencing reverse decades of disinvestment the story. The RTA was reorga- Metra’s fi rst board chairman. big fi nancial losses. in the overall commuter rail nized by Springfi eld in 1983, and Turn the page for highlights Or you could go back to 1974, system, primarily by buying new something called the Commuter of Metra’s fi rst 30 years. WWW.METRARAIL.COM 2 ON THE BI-LEVEL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE 1984-2014 3 Highlights from the fi rst 30 years of Metra history June 8, 1984: The Commuter Heritage Corridor. Rail Service Board, newly cre- ated by the Illinois Legislature, June 7, 1999: The number of meets for the fi rst time. weekday Metra trains rises to 703, its current level. July 12, 1985: The Commuter Rail Service Board adopts the Dec. 13, 2000: The board ap- word “Metra” as a service mark. proves a $400 million order to buy 300 cars from Nippon August 1, 1985: The fi rst lo- Sharyo, the largest procurement comotive painted with Metra’s of rail cars in Metra history. blue and orange colors makes its debut. It is named after Kane Jan. 12, 2001: The board ap- County. proves a $79.4 million order for 27 new MP36-3S locomotives Winter 1985: First issue of “On from Motive Power Industries. the Bi-Level” published. (We’ve reproduced its fi rst masthead on Oct. 11, 2002: The board ap- the cover.) proves a $74 million order for 26 new Highliner cars for the Metra May 1, 1987: Metra buys the Electric Line. The fi rst Highliner car for the Metra Electric Line leaves the Nippon Sharyo factory in Rochelle, Illinois Central Gulf’s electric “Kane County,” the fi rst engine painted in Metra blue and orange, is unveiled on August 1, 1985. Ill., in September 2012. commuter line between Chi- Jan. 30, 2003: Metra announces Jan. 23, 2006: Metra opens an cago and University Park, with Union Station. plans for the STAR Line. Two Dec. 5, 2004: Metra shows off a to build the cars. (About half of extension of the UP West line the two branch lines to Blue April 12, 1990: The board votes November 1995: Metra’s weeks later, it announces plans rehabbed Millennium Station. them have been delivered so far.) to La Fox and Geneva. A week Island and South Chicago for to buy 30 new F40PHM-2 lo- Jan. 17, 1992: The board votes website, www.metrarail.com, for the SouthEast Service Line. later, Metra opens four new $28 million. The line is renamed comotives manufactured by the to buy 173 new wheelchair is activated. (“Neat graphics!” Both lines remain on Metra’s June 1, 2005: Metra allows rid- May 6, 2011: Metra opens the stations and expands service on the “Metra/Electric.” But the Electro-Motive Division of GM accessible coaches from Mor- boasts On the Bi-Level.) planning books, slowed primar- ers to bring bicycles on trains for new “Lou” Jones/35th St. Station the North Central Service line. formal ceremonies featured a for $1.99 million each. rison Knudsen. (The order was ily due to funding issues. the fi rst time. on the Rock Island Line near On the same day, it expands train pulled by a diesel engine, completed by Amerail, and those Jan. 15, 1996: The new Lake- U.S. Cellular Field. service on the SouthWest Service because it was painted in Metra cars are currently being re- Cook Road Station opens on the Line and opens an extension to colors and therefore better for habbed in-house by Metra.) Milwaukee North Line. marketing. The ICG’s Joliet to Then and now Manhattan. Chicago route, part of the deal, is April 1992: Metra completes August 18, 1996: Metra launch- In 1983, commuter railroads provided 56.4 million passenger trips. December 2008: Metra provides renamed the Heritage Corridor. the $75 million renovation of the es the North Central Service, In 2013, Metra provided 82.3 million. 86.8 million passenger trips in Rock Island line’s LaSalle St. the fi rst new commuter route in In 1983, there were 3,481 trains a week. 2008, the highest ever. It remains Sept. 3, 1987: Metra completes Station. Chicago in more than 70 years. the acquisition of the two Mil- In 2014, there are 3,984. Metra’s record year. waukee Lines. (The RTA started May 28, 1993: Metra announces Oct. 15, 1997: A year after In 1983, passenger revenue was just over $124 million. Sept. 9, 2009: Metra unveils a operating the two lines in 1982, that it will assume control of the completing a major $141 million In 2013, it was $311.6 million. new website and for the fi rst time and Metra took over in 1984. commuter operations on the Nor- rehab of the Chicago & North But the tracks were still owned In 1983, the average trip distance was 20.74 miles. offers riders the ability to buy folk Southern tracks and rename Western terminal in downtown, In 2013, it was 22.4 miles. tickets online. by the successor to the bankrupt the line the SouthWest Service. the facility is renamed the Ogil- Milwaukee Road.) June 15, 1990: Metra bans vie Transportation Center after In 1983, the average fare was $2.20. In 2013, it was $3.90. Dec. 3, 2009: MetraMarket smoking on all trains. December 1994: The SouthWest the former Illinois governor. June 3, 2011: Metra launches July 11, 1989: Metra drops the opens at Ogilvie. Quiet Cars on all lines after a Service is extended from 153rd In 1984, the average price for a gallon of gas was $1.24. words “Metropolitan Rail” from Aug. 9, 1991: Metra announces St. to 179th St. April 3, 1998: Metra announces In 2013, it was $3.91. test on the Rock Island Line. August 2010: The board ap- its logo. major $73 million reconstruction that every train will now have at In 1987, there were 52,602 parking spaces at stations. proves a $585 million order to of the Chicago & North Western April 1995: Union Pacifi c least one car that is accessible to June 28, 2012: Metra unveils its In 2014, there are 90,259. buy 160 new Highliner cars for July 16, 1989: Service begins at terminal at Canal and Madison. Railroad completes purchase of people with disabilities. Rail Time Train Tracker the Metra Electric Line from the new Route 59 station on the the Chicago & North Western In 2005, 7,730 bikes were brought on trains.