It should be a smoother ride for some Metra passengers starting Monday.
Metra says its implementing significant changes to the BNSF line schedule, adding trains between Chicago and the western suburbs to reduce crowding and restore service to near pre-pandemic levels.
The commuter rail line says under the new schedule weekday service will increase from 86 to 91 trains. Four new trains are being added to the schedule, and three trains that were removed from the schedule last November will also be restored. But two late morning rush hour trains that provided all stops service between Chicago and Brookfield will no longer operate.
Metro says current ridership on the BNSF line is averaging about 19,000 passenger trips each weekday. that's about 30% of pre-COVID ridership.