Morning conductors are nice but whatever time I take in the mornings heading to downtown, it is RARELY on schedule... so you have pretty daily inconsistency with adhering to their schedule particularly in the winter months. As temperatures drop, passengers are left waiting outside on open platforms in freezing conditions, which makes the experience even more unpleasant. It's frustrating that despite the price hikes, Metra hasn't shown enough commitment to improving reliability. If they continue to raise fares, they should also ensure that the service matches that price increase with better punctuality and customer care. Right now, it feels like customers are getting the short end of the stick. read more

Friday, 8:30AM. Public transportation north of Chicago is sparse. MD-N is a good option for those in the Deerfield/Lincolnshire areas to head south. Quickie: *Station: agent at the station was multi-tasking like a mofo *Train: agent was amiable and interacting with willing passengers And then...? Would hop on again. Good time to get work done on the train. ********** Constructive comments: *Clearer signs *Wi-fi *Recycling bin *Compost area read more

I am a 23+ year rider of Metra, mostly by necessity. Here is my most recent experience with Metra, whose trainmen refer to groups of Black children as "monkeys," sexually harass passengers, and provoke fights with regular riders who find themselves short on fair (and then have those riders incarcerated): Usually, when I arrive at the Glenview station on the MD-N Metra line, I just narrowly make the arriving train due to the significant distance between my client site and the train station. When I arrive, I often walk from the first car where I can board to the car where I prefer to sit. When a trainman arrives to check tickets, he asks me where I'm disembarking. I tell him, and pay the difference from my ten ride if he indicates a fee for riding outside of the zone the ten ride covers. (I generally get a B to D ticket now because I board at Mayfair in Zone B on the way to work, but have to get off at Union Station on the way back from work due to the fact that the return train does not stop at Mayfair; note that my rush hour train departing from Glenview, which is in Zone D, entirely bypasses zones B and C such that anyone boarding in Glenview would necessarily have to disembark in Zone A - and pay the $1 difference on their ten ride.) Aboard train 2142 this past Friday, when the trainman asked me to show him my ticket, I did. He immediately accused me of "scamming the system" by buying a B to D ten ride and sitting in a car other than the one in which I boarded - which of course demonstrates some unwise assumptions on his part about why a passenger might need or prefer to sit in a car other than the one in which s/he boarded, and why he might board the train at one station in the morning and disembark at another in the evening. He then threatened me with arrest if I didn't either pay him $4 (in addition to forfeiting the electronic ticket that I had already "used" for the ride) or leave the train at the Western station, and called another trainmen to say to him front of other passengers, regarding me: "Memorize this face. This is the face of a scam artist." His interpretation of the situation is completely irrational for several reasons: 1) Not once have I ever been dishonest about the station at which I boarded and the station where I intend to disembark, or refused to pay the price difference for riding to zone A - which again is necessary for those who board the rush hour train at Glenview, as that train unfortunately does not stop in zones B or C 2) Since I always board in Zone D, the trainman's claim that I was being dishonest about where I'd boarded is irrelevant and misguided - my ticket is for Zone D to B, and at the time he checked it, the last possible stop for boarding was still in Zone D 3) There are many reasons why someone would walk through several train cars before committing to a seat, including that certain cars are too crowded, too eerily quiet and empty, too hot, too cold, too far from where one would need to be in order to exit closest to the closest desired destination at Union Station, etc. The strange and antisocial trainman's assumption that I did not sit in the same car as the one where he was standing SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WAS STANDING THERE speaks to his narcissism and his Napoleon Complex. What is Metra doing to help their personnel understand that wearing a blue uniform isn't a good excuse to profile and openly denigrate passengers? I have filed a formal complaint against the Milwaukee District North trainmen, and further action on my behalf is underway. I would vehemently discourage anyone from contributing funds to this organization in support of its personnel or its unearned positive reputation. read more

Terrible service. Only inbound trains to Chicago are considered rush hour quiet cars but not outbound to the suburbs trains