Metra Closing 103rd Street Ticket Office

CHICAGO – Downtown commuters who use the 103rd St.-Beverly Hills station on the Rock Island Line will no longer be able to purchase a ticket at the station's ticket office beginning later this month. Metra announced Monday that they will be closing the ticket sales at the station and eliminating the ticket agent position there. Train riders will still have access to the station's facilities and are encouraged to purchase tickets via the free Ventra app.

Declining on-site ticket sales was the reason cited for closing the option at 103rd Street. Ticket sales have declined at many Metra stations as passengers have switched to mobile purchasing, the rail line said.

The 103rd Street station sold 1,472 tickets in August, the lowest amount of all the ticket agents along the Rock Island Line. The station, which serves about 750 customers a day, will close the ticket sales on Oct 15.

On-site ticket sales were previously eliminated at the Mokena, 111th Street/Morgan Park, 91st, 95th and 99th Street stations on the line, according to Metra. The ticket agents at the LaSalle Street station downtown will remain in place, and customers boarding at 103rd will be able to purchase a one-way ticket on board from a conductor at no extra cost.

Patch file photo / Tim Moran