Although the trains can be(and often times are) packed, riding the train is the fastest way to get downtown Chicago. Metra is my ride to work and back home Monday through Friday. Appreciative of having the train to get me downtown, and back home. Now it IS a pretty penny monthly. But I am sure it offsets the costs of wear and tear and the family car. And I am thankful. read more

Metra Electric - This is my EVERYDAY view. From the platform. - Public Transportation Near Me - University Park, Illinois

Hands down Absolute worst train service in the United States of America. Without a doubt terrible service. I don't even know where to start. For one, the schedule that the Metra creates themselves is always;more often than not; off schedule. They allow track construction to take place while also taking passengers. So if you're on the train heading inbound or outbound, it is IMPERATIVE that you must sit in one of the first 3 stops for a an extended period of time, disregarding the schedule that the METRA THEMSELVES put out. If you're trying to get to places on time and accordingly, I can only recommend driving, or getting on the train before the one that would allow you to get to your destination on time. They really still take passengers and keep the same schedule out , knowing that there are workers on the track and that the trains will stop and hold up passengers. The pricing for passengers constantly goes up, while the service repeatedly get more and more worse by the day. The only positive thing I can say about it is that the train clean more often than not, and the conductors do their job well, but as for operations outside of that: 0/10 HIGHLY DO NOT RECOMMEND RIDING THIS TRAIN. They don't care about passengers, schedules, the passengers that ride the train to commute for work, nothing . They only care about charging you a extra $1 or $2 every other year, so that you can sit on Van Buren st for 30 minutes, every ride, while workers work on the track that they already knew would be there. No regard for getting passengers to their destination on time, or even the time that they project. Nothing accurate. Absolute worse train service in the country. Invest in a car read more

Taking the Metra Electric is the easiest way to get downtown. You aren't stuck with the daunting task of having to find where to park or how much you're going to have to shell out. If you go on the weekends, get a weekend pass and it's only about $6. This is the price of a normal 1-way trip downtown, so you'll basically get one ride free (or 3 if you go both Saturday and Sunday.) Parking here is fine, albeit a little dark at nights but no one's ever bothered me or my car (but then again I do drive a rust mobile), even the times I've been alone. The huge downside is there's absolutely NO bathroom at this location, so if you won't be able to make it for the 52 minute ride -- make sure to stop at the Speedway across the street first. We found out the hard way when it was a pee emergency. We tried opening every single door and no toilet was behind any of them. The clientele is what you'd expect of public transportation. Sometimes it's entertaining, sometimes it's just quite nauseating. The last time we took the train was the latter as a guy next to us threw up all over himself for about 1/2 the ride. He had to be carried off by the conducter. Depending on how you look at it, that may have been considered a high point of my Metra experience? read more

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This past year there seems to be more delays than ever on the Metra Electric route. The winter months are always a concern. Many of the conductors are pleasant in the morning and evening, but the passive aggressive conductors who let individuals hold conversations on the quiet cars without warning or listen to music without earbuds is annoying. The notification of delays is aggravating even when you use the mobile app, subscribe to emails and follow them on social media. And I can never be too sure of what clock to follow because I've missed trains looking at different clocks all with the same time but off by a matter of seconds. I've been on trains that depart from platform ahead of scheduled time as well. What can you do because complaints fall on deaf ears. read more

The metra at University Park is consistently on time and clean. I have ridden this route to downtown Chicago more times than I can count. The parking is fast and convenient. If you are parking overnight, be sure to call the overnight service. This will ensure safety for your vehicle. Plus the parking is only $1.25 for 12 hours! If you do not have a ticket upon boarding, you will have to pay the conductor. If you do have a ticket, they will punch it. They have money saving options too. There are different passes ranging from 10 rides to a yearly pass. One of my favorite things about the riding in the metra is the flip over seats. If you have a party of four, you can arrange the seats so that they are facing each other. There is also seating on the second story. There is NOT a bathroom that you can use. So you must go before or after you board. read more

I just discovered the Bears Extra train! Best decision I have ever made because after a lifetime of driving to the game it has become over time, unbearable. The trains are always clean, as are the restrooms. I use the app with the weekend pass $8, just perfect. I'm let off at 18th St., and picked up there as well. Plenty of security at the 18th St. platform as well. read more

God, please help me! No oxygen or air conditioning in the morning on these inbound trains during the spring and summer and on many occasions no heat during winter. Monthly tickets cost nearly $200/month. WTF! read more