For the second year in a row, Metra announced that it will not raise fares for riders in 2020.
In a press release issued Wednesday, the agency also said that thanks to a new state capital program, $2.6 billion will be allocated to capital improvements over the next five years to purchase more locomotives, railcars, and to improve stations and bridges.
“We are happy to give our customers a double dose of good news,” Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said. “Thanks to Springfield stepping up, we do not need to raise fares for capital needs – in fact, we now have a significant infusion of capital dollars to help us begin to attack our backlog of capital work.”
The agency says that its budget is expected to rise by approximately $5 million next year, but despite an uptick in operating costs, the agency found inefficiencies to help offset the additional costs.
A list of specific projects will be released along with the agency’s full capital plan in October.
