Metra will upgrade the SouthWest Service Line schedule on Jan. 16, increasing the number of weekday trains on the line to 30 from the current 12 as part of a major service redesign pilot.
“As we have done on other lines, we are adjusting the schedule on the SouthWest Service to meet increasing demand and to meet the need for more flexibility from My Metra riders,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski.
The SouthWest Service Line does not currently operate on weekends.
The line begins in Manhattan and makes three stops in Orland Park, Palos Park, Palos Heights, Worth, Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn on its way to Union Station.
The new schedule can be viewed at metra.com/alternate-schedules. All customers are advised to review the new schedule to determine if their current trains are affected or if new trains better meet their needs. Metra will monitor customer feedback and operations and make future schedule adjustments as necessary.
The new schedule is a major service redesign, including:
• Increasing the number of trains on weekdays to 30 trains from 12.
• Introducing an express train in each direction.
• Providing for consistent headways.
• Adding later evening departures from Chicago Union Station.
• Providing better service to outlying staions than pre-COVID schedules
• Syncing off-peak times better with other lines for transfer opportunities at Union Station