CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Metra announced Thursday it will begin operating an alternate weekday schedule on Monday to adjust for the reduced number of riders due to school closures, work-from-home mandates, and other consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The alternate schedules represent about half of Metra’s normal weekday service, but provide adequate service for those who still need to travel. Metra will operate its normal weekend schedules this weekend on lines that have weekend service.
“This is an unprecedented situation; we are attempting to do our best to provide service for those who still need public transportation and match service with demand,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski, in a statement.
Metra said there will be changes for every line except the Heritage Corridor, which will operate its normal schedule. The rail company also said they will maintain the number of cars on trains to allow for social distancing.
The reduced schedules will remain in effect until health officials deem the crisis has passed and/or ridership begins to return to normal.
"Although Metra does not have hard numbers, it experienced a severe drop in ridership late last week, as the impacts of the pandemic spread. That decline has continued this week, particularly after many businesses switched to work-from-home and Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the closing of schools statewide and banned large gatherings in order to stop the spread of the virus," Metra said in a statement. "Because it remains difficult to accurately predict the demand for service, and therefore the amount of service required to meet that demand, further adjustments are possible if the alternate schedules prove inadequate. Metra will give customers ample warning if schedules need to be adjusted again. Any potential changes to weekend schedules also will be announced with ample warning."
On a line-by-line basis, Metra is monitoring ridership and may further reduce service to meet the ridership demands.
The reduction in service will also give Metra a greater opportunity to clean its cars, concentrating on disinfecting high-touch areas such as handrails, door handles and seats.
“We never take a reduction in service lightly, but we are using this as an opportunity to provide passengers with even safer conditions,” Derwinski said. “It is our intent to continue to provide train service unless instructed not to do so.”
Metra is encouraging all riders to use the Ventra app for tickets, because it requires less interaction with conductors. The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.For all of Metra’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, visit metrarail.com.