Dupage Policy Journal

Metra riders are telling the DuPage Policy Journal that conductors are no longer even trying to collect fares from passengers.

Metra is facing a $70 million budget shortfall this year, according to the Daily Herald, even after receiving $470 million in federal Covid bailout money, as reported by WTTW. The regional transit operator recently reported ridership is down by 90% for the year due to Covid. 

Metra has changed schedules but trains are still largely empty. 

Despite the lack of ridership, Metra reported that it would not entertain layoffs of furloughs for its unionized, 2,300-strong workforce. In contrast, nationwide train service Amtrak recently reported it would be laying off nearly 2,000 employees due to decreased ridership, according to trade publication Trains.com.  

While Metra employees may not be bothered to check tickets, labor union members employed in its maintenance division protested in front of Metra Director Ken Koehler's home earlier this year, according to the Daily Herald.

“We have no plans to make any furloughs or layoffs at this time,” Metra spokesman Michael Gillis told the Chicago Tribune in August.

In April, Metra reported ridership was down 97% and projected a $192 million passenger revenue shortfall. It projected passenger ticket collections of $15 million in September, down from a budget of just over $30 million.

Last week at the agency's September board meeting, Metra officials revised downward their earlier estimate of when ridership would rebound. Now, they believe it will stay below 20% of normal through the end of 2020.

Kirk Dillard of the Regional Transportation Authority, which manages Metra along with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and PACE suburban bus service, said this week that Metra will soon cut weekend service to accommodate the ridership declines.

Still, Metra is moving forward with a $29 million renovation of a station in south suburban Homewood, on the Illinois Central line.

Metra is the second largest commuter rail system in the U.S., operating 242 rail stations across 11 rail lines and covering 488 miles. In 2019, it was the fourth busiest commuter rail system in the U.S. by ridership (67 million rides), after the MTA Long Island Railroad (118 million), NJ Transit Rail (88 million) and the MTA Metro-North Railroad (86 million).