There could be some big changes coming to the way you purchase and use tickets on the Metra rail system beginning next month.
The biggest changes will come as ticket windows close on all of the system’s lines. According to the agency, windows will close on BNSF lines by Jan. 8, and all remaining ticket windows, including those at downtown Chicago stations, will shutter on Feb. 1.
Vending machines have been placed at the busiest stops impacted by the decision, with riders encouraged to use the Ventra app on their mobile devices.
Another change will involve the elimination of 10-ride tickets and incremental fares. The 10-ride passes will instead be replaced by five packs of Day Passes, according to the agency, which will be priced at 9.5 times the rate of a single-ride fare between zones.
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Incremental fares, which allowed riders to upgrade existing tickets between zones, will be eliminated beginning on Feb. 1.
Finally, the Regional Connect Pass, available to all monthly pass holders on the Metra system, will only be available via the Ventra app beginning on Feb. 1. Those passes will cost $30, and provide unlimited rides on CTA and Pace, according to Metra officials.
The changes coincide with a simplification of the fare system, with Metra reducing its zone coverage from 10 zones to just four. The agency says the new fare system will result in reduced prices on nearly all lines, with the exception of the Metra Electric Line, as a discounted fare program will end on Feb. 1.
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A full list of prices and how the zones will be assigned can be found here.
