Metra adds Bike Cars to Rock Island and BNSF lines

(May 13, 2021) -

Summer is fast approaching and with the warmer weather and the easing of pandemic restrictions, it's time for Chicagoans to enjoy the outdoors and all the festivals and attractions that make northeast Illinois such a great place to work and play. To celebrate the summer and make the region even more accessible, Metra is expanding its Bike Car program to its Rock Island and BNSF lines beginning this Saturday, May 15.

Metra will be adding two railcars retrofitted to accommodate bicycles on the Rock Island Line and one Bike Car on the BNSF Line. The Bike Cars can carry 16 bicycles instead of the usual five allowed on Metra's accessible diesel railcars. The cars will be available on both weekend and weekday trains and are easily identified by a blue and grey paint scheme, as well as a large white bicycle decal adjacent to the exterior doors.

Metra's first Bike Car made its debut on the Milwaukee District North Line in November 2020 followed by a second car in December. The success of those cars has encouraged Metra to expand to additional lines just in time for the summer season. Cars will be added to more lines as the summer progresses.

'The Bike Cars we introduced late last year have been well-received by the cycling community, encouraging us to move forward and expand the amenity to other lines,' said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. 'The expanded availability of Bike Cars will make the region more accessible and encourage cyclists to explore the trails and communities along our rail lines. And, of course, this effort also highlights how Metra and cycling go together as green transportation options that reduce our carbon footprint and aid the environment.'

The full schedules showing Bike Car trains can be viewed here: Rock Island and BNSF. A bicycle symbol on the schedules will designate the trains with an assigned Bike Car. To assist with trip planning, Metra will also post alerts to this website should a service disruption cause the cars to be out of service.

On the Rock Island Line to Joliet, a Bike Car will be available on weekend inbound trains 202, 306, 110, 114, 118, 318, 322, 126, and 326 beginning Saturday, May 15. Outbound weekend trains 205, 109, 113, 315, 319, 119, 323, 327, and 127 will also offer a Bike Car.

The Bike Cars will also be available on the Rock Island Line on weekdays on inbound trains 404, 306, 412, 616, 420, 424, and 500. Outbound weekday trains 503, 607, 409, 413, 417, 419, and 507 will also be equipped with a Bike Car.

One Bike Car will also be available on the BNSF Line to Aurora beginning May 15. On weekends, the car will be on inbound trains 2002 and 2012 on outbound trains 2003 and 2009. On weekdays, the car will be available on inbound trains 1302, 1308 and 1320 and on outbound trains 1313 and 1293.

With the addition of more Bike Cars across the Metra system, Metra customers can enjoy the benefits of bringing their bike along to explore city and suburban attractions. Whether you want to enjoy attractions like the Lakefront Trail and Navy Pier or spend a day exploring a forest preserve or a historic neighborhood, Metra's Bike Cars make it easier to bring the family or a group of friends on a cycling adventure.

For example, along the BNSF Line, the trails at Bemis Woods and Possum Hollow Woods forest preserves are located a short distance from the LaGrange Station, or take a spin around historic downtown Naperville and its River Walk.

Along the Rock Island Line, urban adventurers can ride along the Blue Island Ridge Trail between the line's 95th Street and Blue Island stations and explore the historic Chicago neighborhoods of Beverly and Morgan Park, or take a short ride from the 91st Street Station to the Dan Ryan Forest Preserve. The Midlothian Reservoir or the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve are also a short ride away from their respective stations on the Rock Island Line. A selection of bike-friendly excursions can also be found in the Newsroom section of the website under 'Now Approaching.'

To accommodate the additional bicycles, Metra crews removed 24 two-passenger seats on one half of the lower level of Pullman cars from the late 1960s. Seats remain on the upper level of that side of the car for customers who wish to sit within view of their bike. Metra is using in-house resources to design and retrofit the cars. Metra will be announcing the addition of Bike Cars on the Union Pacific and Metra Electric lines in the coming weeks.

Even with the addition of the Bike Cars, there will still be limits to the number of bicycles allowed and cyclists should be advised there is no guarantee that bikes or e-scooters can be accommodated on an initial or return trip. Crews have the right to refuse bikes or e-scooters in the event of overcrowding or depending on the needs of customers with disabilities. For more information on Metra's bike policies as well as links to cycling resources, please click here.

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