Metra Adds Service to Busiest Lines for Taste of Chicago

From Metra: Metra will offer extra trains and altered schedules on its BNSF Line and Union Pacific Northwest Line for customers attending the Taste of Chicago, the city’s annual food festival. This year’s foodie extravaganza highlighting Chicago’s diverse dining options kicks offWednesday, July 5 in Grant Park and runs through Sunday, July 9.

“The Taste is a summertime tradition for many Chicagoans, so we have added service to our two busiest lines to accommodate the increase in customers we anticipate this week,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “Extra trains should make an already fast and convenient way of getting to the festival even better.”

BNSF Line customers from Aurora to Downers Grove Main Street will be able to board additional inbound and outbound trains throughout the five-day festival. From Wednesday through Friday, outbound Train 1285, which departs Chicago Union Station at 6:22 p.m., will terminate at Lisle, and passengers travelling beyond Lisle must transfer to Train 1287.

Meanwhile, an additional Union Pacific Northwest Line train will depart from Ogilvie Transportation Center at 6:20 p.m. Saturday night, expressing to Des Plaines before making all stops to Crystal Lake.

Full details for each line are available at metrarail.com.

To make holiday travel more affordable, Metra offers an $8 weekend pass good for unlimited travel on Saturday and Sunday. The pass can be purchased with cash on the train or via the Ventra App, which can be downloaded at the App Store and Google Play. And, throughout the summer, up to three kids 11 and under can ride free with each adult.

Once you arrive downtown, CTA buses can take you from any of our downtown stations to Grant Park. To plan your trip on transit, use the RTA trip planner at rtachicago.org or call 836-7000 from any area code in the six-county region.

Metra’s rideshare partner, Uber, offers another option to take you between the train station and the event. If you’re new to Uber, download the app, request a ride, and a nearby driver will arrive in minutes. Enter promo code METRA2017 for your first ride free up to $15. This offer is not valid on uberCAB.

No alcohol will be permitted on Metra trains after 7 p.m. Friday, July 7, and all day Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9. In addition, customers are advised that due to the anticipated crowds, Metra trains may not be able to accommodate bicycles July 7-9.

Like us on Facebook: Metra – Follow us on Twitter: @Metra – Visit us at metrarail.com

Image via Pixabay