New U.S. DOT Grant to Fund More Stops and More Trains for Chicago's Metra

Metra will serve new communities and expand rail service along its North Central and Southwest lines thanks to a new $14.2 million investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced today.

“We’re putting Chicago on track to get more workers to jobs, more shoppers to stores and more families to their homes,” said Secretary Mineta. “President Bush understands that investing in transportation systems is one of the best ways to connect communities to the rapidly expanding economy.”

Metra will use an $8 million grant to expand and increase rail service along its North Central Service line. The federal investment will pay for new stops for Franklin Park, Schiller Park, Rosemont and Grayslake. Metra will also use the money to add 18 new miles of double tracking between Antioch and Chicago. The double tracks mean the commuter line can now run twenty-two trains a day and add new mid-day service. Without the double tracks, Metra can only run ten trains a day without mid-day service. The new investment will also allow Metra to upgrade existing parking facilities along the line.

A second grant of $6.2 million will be used to extend Metra’s Southwest Line by eleven miles. This extension will add commuter rail service for Palos Heights, New Lenox and Manhattan. Funds also will allow Metra to upgrade the line’s tracks, install a new signal control system, extend the line’s double-tracking, expand its rail yard, enlarge passenger facilities at existing stations and expand commuter parking. When completed in December 2005, existing service will double, increasing frequency from 16 weekday trains to 30. The total cost of the project is $198.2 million. The FTA is funding sixty percent of the cost, bringing the federal share of funding to $103.1 million and the local share to $95.1 million.