by erie910
I will be in the western suburbs the week after Labor Day, and I plan to take a day to ride more of Metra (before our granddaughter moves to South Carolina). Here is my planned itinerary:
#1370, Aurora to Union Station, 8:14a-9:07a
#317, Millennium Station to 93rd St., 9:40a-10:19a
#318, 93rd St. to 59th St., 10:50a-11:10a
#119, 59th St. to University Park, 11:36a-12:20p
#124, University Park to 59th St., 12:47p-1:30p
#227, 59th St. to Blue Island, 3:18p-3:52p
#620, Blue Island to LaSalle St. Station, 4:25p-5:11p (Rock Island Line)
#1271, Union Station to Aurora, 5:32p-6:32p
Does this itinerary seem feasible? I'm not sure how long the walk between Union Station and Millennium Station will take, plus the time to buy the multiple tickets for the IC electric service.
Is 59th St. a reasonably safe place to wait for the 1:45 between the train from University Park and the train to Blue Island? I'm not opposed to going all the way back to Millennium Station from University Park and taking #227 from there to Blue Island.
Are there ticket agents at any stations besides Aurora, Union Station, Millennium Station? I have the RTA discount fare card, and I understand that automated ticket dispensers cannot issue discount fare tickets. If I have to buy all the IC electric tickets at Millennium Station, will the ticket agent give me any grief for buying so many tickets for trains so close in time to each other? If there is no agent at Blue Island, can the Millennium Station agent sell me a ticket for the Blue Island to LaSalle St. Station ride? I think that there is a slight difference between the Rock Island and IC fares between Blue Island and Chicago.
Any suggestions on changes in the proposed itinerary are most welcome, as well as suggestions of things to watch for and to see.
Aside from the interchange where the South Shore/Kensington & Eastern leaves the IC line, are there any crossings of other rail lines? I'm familiar with a crossing on the Rock Island line, but not with anything else.
Thanks in advance for your help.
#1370, Aurora to Union Station, 8:14a-9:07a
#317, Millennium Station to 93rd St., 9:40a-10:19a
#318, 93rd St. to 59th St., 10:50a-11:10a
#119, 59th St. to University Park, 11:36a-12:20p
#124, University Park to 59th St., 12:47p-1:30p
#227, 59th St. to Blue Island, 3:18p-3:52p
#620, Blue Island to LaSalle St. Station, 4:25p-5:11p (Rock Island Line)
#1271, Union Station to Aurora, 5:32p-6:32p
Does this itinerary seem feasible? I'm not sure how long the walk between Union Station and Millennium Station will take, plus the time to buy the multiple tickets for the IC electric service.
Is 59th St. a reasonably safe place to wait for the 1:45 between the train from University Park and the train to Blue Island? I'm not opposed to going all the way back to Millennium Station from University Park and taking #227 from there to Blue Island.
Are there ticket agents at any stations besides Aurora, Union Station, Millennium Station? I have the RTA discount fare card, and I understand that automated ticket dispensers cannot issue discount fare tickets. If I have to buy all the IC electric tickets at Millennium Station, will the ticket agent give me any grief for buying so many tickets for trains so close in time to each other? If there is no agent at Blue Island, can the Millennium Station agent sell me a ticket for the Blue Island to LaSalle St. Station ride? I think that there is a slight difference between the Rock Island and IC fares between Blue Island and Chicago.
Any suggestions on changes in the proposed itinerary are most welcome, as well as suggestions of things to watch for and to see.
Aside from the interchange where the South Shore/Kensington & Eastern leaves the IC line, are there any crossings of other rail lines? I'm familiar with a crossing on the Rock Island line, but not with anything else.
Thanks in advance for your help.