Metra Adds Service for Taste of Chicago

Submitted by Metra.

Chicago, IL — Metra will offer extra trains and altered schedules on its BNSF Line and Union Pacific Northwest Lines 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 off Wednesday, July 6 at Grant Park and runs through Sunday, July 10.

“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.”

• Taste of Chicago 2016: Your Complete Guide

BNSF Line customers from Aurora to Downers Grove will be able to board additional inbound and outbound trains throughout the five-day festival. 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.

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 on the train or via the Ventra App that 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 metrarail.com or rtachicago.com or call 836-7000 from any area code in the six-county region.

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Metra’s rideshare partners, Uber and Lyft, can also help you get to and from all downtown Chicago train stations to the festival. New users can download the Uber app and enter promo code METRACHI for $10 off their first two rides. Customers who visit Lyft’s website and enter their phone number will also receive $10 off their first two rides. Both rideshare companies have programs that offer deeper discounts by sharing a ride. Visit their websites for details.

For more information about added service and schedule changes, please see the schedules that accompany this release or visit metrarail.com.