Metra Electric

Metra officers are over zealous and rude. Today my sister had her bottle of wine that she was bringing home for Father’s Day confiscated, despite the fact that the bottle was unopened and she wasn’t breaking Metra rules. Per Metra’s website:
Unopened bottles of alcohol are allowed on the train at noon on this day.
Even though my sister tried to explain that she wasn’t breaking any rules, Officer N. Garcia and her colleagues told her that if she continued to ask about the wine, they would kick her off the train and call the police. Dreadful!
Read your rules. It’s not right how you treat certain passengers.

This train always has issues in the winter. As I write this I am stuck on the train trying to get home to pick up my kids. We have been sitting for 30 minutes because a train in front of us lost electricity. I had something similar happen another time. They kept us on the train for a long time before having us essentially jump off and walk down the tracks to catch another train. I was pregnant at the time and it was a very dangerous situation. Metra should be sued behind some of the crap they pull. And they have the nerve to increase our fares! The train I am stuck on right now has power. So why not back us up to the station and let us get off so we can get home instead of holding us hostage?!? I need to get my kids!

1÷13÷15: late to work this morning and will be late getting home. #709 about 20 – 25 minutes late.

Wake up people! This is public transportation and it extends far into the south suburbs! Where else can you receive a weekend pass to take you many miles back and forth, all weekend, for just $ 7 per person. I love taking the Metra Electric downtown, to a Bears game or to the campus facilities to enjoy a stroll downtown or to spend more time talking with my companions rather than stressing out on driving downtown, looking for a parking spot and then dreading the ride home after walking around. The savings on parking alone justifies the $ 7 per person weekend pass.
We are fortunate to have access to this type of reliable and speedy public transportation. I think more people need to appreciate the simpler things in life. GREAT JOB TO METRA!

It’s electric! Very cool train cars on this line-​they aren’t pulled by a gas powered locomotive, relying instead on overhead electric wires to power the cars. Unlike most (maybe all?) other Metra trains, the floors of the cars are at the same level as the above grade platforms, so you don’t have to go up or down any stairs to enter or exit the train cars (there are still stairs to access the upper level of the train car). The stations are mostly all above grade so the trains don’t tie up traffic like they do in the suburbs. Fast, reliable, and relatively affordable public transportation between the Loop and the south side/​south suburbs. Can it be dirty? Yes. Are some of the stations crumbling and sketchy as all get out? Yes. But it gets the job done. My trains often do have the newer cars with restrooms on board, and the restrooms at Millennium Station are actually not that bad.

Don’t be hatin’ on the South Shore! Consider what it delivers, and where, and thank your lucky stars that some of your fellow passengers aren’t behind the wheel of a car. Seriously, it DOES get the job done in an economical and environmentally friendly way and at a fraction of the price it takes either to drive into Chicago or pay the ridiculously high rates to park ANYWHERE there. One of the best options is to use the East Chicago station, as it’s close to freeways, has loads of free parking and is less than a 45 minute ride into the Loop. Or, if you’re coming down from MI and don’t want to drive that far, catch it anywhere from S. Bend to Dune Park/​Beverly Shores to avoid the nightmare that the Borman or the ripoff that the IN Toll Road/​Skyway can be.

As far as public transit goes, the South Shore Line is par for the course. It’s really the only viable option for getting to downtown Chicago without being stuck in traffic and paying a ton for parking.
That said, there is plenty of room for improvement. The seats are like the cushions on your grandmothers sofa: worn out, flat, and not comfortable for any length of time. In addition there is minimal leg room. The fact that the trains never seem to be at the station when the schedule says they will be is frustrating. It’s particularly difficult when you miss a train and have to wait 2 hrs or more for another one. And what’s with not opening up cars to passengers on some of the night trains? To cram people in a stuffy car like sardines to watch them suffer?
Sometimes I wish METRA would just takeover the NITCD. They have more trains that run more frequently, have bigger cars with more comfortable seats and have a much larger rail network. Right now, if you live in NWI and need to take public transit elsewhere in the city you may as well drive because the cost of taking SS plus METRA/​CTA is ridiculous. For the over $ 200/​month spent on a monthly pass there should be access to a much larger rail network… or at the very least SS should update their equipment.
But until that day happens I’ll just be happy that there is at least one option (be it a garbage option) for public transit in order to commute to Chicago.

The train varies day to day. Sometimes it’s great and sometimes it’s difficult. I could run to make it and the close the door on my face or they may wait. Sometimes the announcer can be heard and at other times it’s muffled radio noises. It’s the risk you take but it’s consistently inconsistent.

still the best and easiest way to go from michigan to indiana. cheap, cheap, cheap. you can park your car safely and be right in millennium station when you depart.
love, juston

I love that this train exists simply because it gets me to work without driving. Thats as good as it gets though.
Drinking alcohol is permitted on the train which is horrible if you’re stuck in a cart with a bunch of drunk gross men. The conductors don’t say anything to drunk people.
They don’t have an express to university park which they really need! They also need to make sure that they always announce stops and when they do it should be clear.
The women at the info counter downtown are just cruel human beings. Ive seen Lisa (or something like that) be incredibly rude to people who ask questions. She is working at the info desk — she needs to slap a smile on her nasty face and do her job.

I’ve taken the SSR 6 times now, and never had a bad experience. I’ve been lucky enough to get a seat next to an outlet each time, and the train has been on time every single time, and the staff has always been friendly. Plus it’s really cheap. Definitely a great way to travel into Chicago.

Southshore is amazing!
Surely, there is usually drunk people on it during the weekends who are far too loud, but for a $ 9 train ticket I don’t mind.
It is always on time, in fact, so early that I get to board early and find a comfortable place to sit.
Best part? It’s always on time, which is so lovely.

You can’t beat having a train. Its an awesome way to get from Indiana to Chicago or chicago to indiana. Here’s the only thing I hate… ok maybe one thing I hate. They don’t run as frequently. Geez really! I come from Chicago so I hate that I have to wait 2hrs to catch a train.
2^nd thing is that sometimes even though they have more then 2 trains attached they only allow you to board the 2 first trains. Seriously?! Staff is not that friendly but then again I really don’t want people talking to me when I’m on the train. However, a hello won’t hurt anyone.
Overall ok.

I’m a long time rider or the South Shore line. Usually Gary to Chicago, but I’ve used the Miller, Hammond, Clark Street, and East Chicago stations as well. This is how I visit my family while living in Chicago… and I would not have it any other way.
For the price, you just can’t beat it. It has went up over time, as I remember one way trips being $ 4 from Gary to Randolph. But hey, doing the same on Greyhound is still more money at the end of the day. I love the train and being able to see everything as you ride along. Just reminds of my childhood. Sorry, flashback… Anyways, it’s $ 5.75 now to do the same trip, one way. Not bad. On holidays, children ride for cheaper, which I love and parents appreciate when traveling for fireworks. Now, those are the busy and crowd days. In addition, as Christmas comes around, except the trains to be packed with shoppers and visitors from and to the city.
The trains are more late in the summer, in my experiences. Not really sure why any where from 2 to 15 minutes. Any other time, it’s on time and I usually get left :(Please be sure you go online to find the schedule, as the schedule changes A LOT! Like, every three months or so. So if you picked up a printed schedule this summer that says it changed in July, fyi that SSCRS has a new one dated for this month (Oct).
The stations are OK. Gary Metro Station is a bit scary, especially now not having too many businesses in their station and greyhound service stops here. However they just revamped the platform. Don’t visit the bathrooms in Gary. Half the time, there is not toilet paper. My favorite platform in Hammond. The station is a bit newer and feels safer. It also reminders me a lot of the Chicago El platforms. Clark street is on the street, no lie. And most of the time, the train will not stop there, so look at your schedule carefully. Additionally, you will have to press a button for the train to stop. Don’t feel like doing all this, go to the Gary station. Lastly, Hammond has a shelter there for you in the winter, but the platform is small.
Overall, I love the south shore line. I pray I am able to take my kids on it one day for a trip to the big city. It’s a effective way of bridging NWI to Chicago and I will never complain about that.

I love the fact that the Metra Electric drops me off in the basement of the building I work at in downtown Chicago. Yes, the basement of my building. So I do not face any of the Chicago winters, rain, heat, etc. I just walk up the stairs and take an escalator to my employer.
HOWEVER… the Electric Line has NO BATHROOMS!!! This is not a fun HOUR LONG ride for those of us commuters that have to use the facilities. What’s more is that there are hardly any «unlocked» bathrooms at any of the train stations along the way. If you saw the neighborhoods we commute through, you would NOT want to stop and use a local gas station or restaurant for you’d be taking your life in your hands.
That being said, since my monthly pass has just gone up from $ 106 to $ 139, I trust Metra will be carving out some of that $ 396 per year increase to convert ALL trains to include bathrooms, not just a chosen few like there are right now. Its 2012. Time to get with the program.

A decent rail system. Going onto the Southshore, I wasn’t expecting anything amazing. I got what I expected, a train-​ride that got me to and from where I needed to go.
Comparatively to the Metra, though, SS’s seats were terribly uncomfortable. I couldn’t fall asleep once no matter how I sat. I even tried some really awkward fetal-​like positions to see if they’d work and nothing! Funny enough, I saw a bunch of other people trying the same thing.
Yeah, not comfortable at all. Then again, this isn’t Amtrak.

Eureka! I have found it!
I drive from SW Ohio to Chicago a couple of times a year for long weekends etc. Always stay near the Mag Mile and have finally found what I think is the best way to get into and out of the city without having to drive and pay $ 50 per day to park. I drove to Dune Park station; parked for free (under a light and camera), hopped on the train ($ 14 round trip) spent a pleasant couple of hours riding to Millennium station. Then took the red line to my lodging. Upon my return to Dune Park, my car was safe and sound. This is definitely the way to go for me from now on.

I need more practice with taking this service.
I got to the station at Michigan and Randolph and bought a ticket. There was no one at the Information desk and the monitor didn’t have the track # listed of the train I wanted. So of course I keep going up and down the ramps to where some of the trains are standing. The doors are shut and personnel is no where to be found.
Finally I see someone and ask what the deal is. So here’s what to do. Wait at the top and listen to the announcements about 10 minutes before the arrival of the train. It will tell you the track # you want.
On the way back from the 57^th St. station it works a bit differently. There is only one train just make your you’re standing on the correct side whether you want to go north or south. What was annoying was that when the train came, only one door was open way at the front of the train so I had to hustle since I was toward the end.

Metra ain’t got nuttin on this! South Shore Line is truly a step back in time. The railway lines follow the original lakefront which existed prior to adding «floating land» for the metropolis’ parks and recreation. The trains are furnished with diner-​looking pink and teal vinyl seats and the doors have bells that dings when doors are closing. The bells are identical to that of a vehicles turn signal and followed by a bicycle bell. Classy!
I had never knew about the Millennium Station under Millennium Park but there’s a whole mall down there with an artistic curving ceiling. You can purchase your tickets at the ticket booth or use the automated machines that accept credit/​debit cards. Talk about convenience! (Learn from SS Metra!) There’s no cheating the conductor because you have to buy your ticket prior to boarding and the ticket is defaced by removing the stub. Oh and they’re friendlier than the Metra too. OK enough of bashing the Metra…
The train can be taken all the way to South Bend and Gary, Indiana or to the Indiana Dunes Park for a mini beach vacation. If you’re looking into the lakefront’s history of steel mills, you can learn a lot from a ride on the South Shore Rail.

My family was having a meet-​up at the Indiana Dunes this spring– and since I live along this line on the south side– I thought I’d make my way to Portage via the South Shore. It was quite idea. I checked the South Shore website for train times and prices. The train was on time going. Was about 10 minutes late arriving when I was returning Sunday just before noon, but no big deal.
The inner train décor is a bit dated– with ‘pleather’ seats in brown, pink and teal. Bleck. But it was clean.
And the only problem I had– which I’ll have to double check their website against– just to know if I misunderstood– I read on the website that they have a Weekend Pass– similar to Metra’s weekend pass. It’s about $ 5.50– and you go anywhere you want unlimited on the South Shore line using that one pass. When I boarded– the conductor told me no– they don’t sell those. So that was a bit disappointing. I’d call perhaps if you’re interested in that option– to make sure it IS an option.
I’d surely use this line again if I ever had to head out to Indiana.