New legislation poses the possibility of more commuter trains on rgw Rock Island line and a future high-speed rail connection between Joliet and Peoria.

From Capitol News Illinois: The bill specifies that Metra is allowed to reach agreements to provide service outside the Chicago area “when it is deemed beneficial to the state”

State lawmakers’ passage of Senate Bill 2111 on Oct. 31 saves Metra, Pace and the CTA from a massive shortfall leading to service cuts and layoffs. But tucked into the bailout is a toll hike that will devastate the trucking industry, a trucking executive says.

 Metra will be operating its popular Holiday Trains – specially decorated trains filled with holiday characters – on five rail lines this December.

From Capitol News Illinois: Chicago-area public transportation agencies won’t need to raise fares, cut routes or lay off workers next year after state lawmakers approved a bill overhauling public transit, the head of the Regional Transportation Authority said

Kane, DuPage and McHenry county mayors “remain very concerned that not having equity in voting on the new NITA board will set them up to be absolutely steamrolled,” state Sen. Don DeWitte said.

From Capitol News Illinois: Two key negotiators on public transit reform in the Illinois House filed a bill Tuesday to raise up to $2 billion for public transit by taxing entertainment and the unrealized investment gains of billionaires

The LaFox of Campton Hills plan calls for 900 residences on almost 1,000 acres of newly annexed property. A hearing on the plan is due to continue Thursday.

Thirty years ago Saturday, a Metra train struck a school bus in the heart of Fox River Grove, killing seven Cary-Grove High students and injuring many more. The community and rail safety were forever changed.

Gov. JB Pritzker ruled out a property tax break for a Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights while keeping the door open on infrastructure aid at an Economic Club of Chicago forum Tuesday

A car crashed into a Metra train Monday morning at the same intersection as the deadly 1995 bus and train crash in Fox River Grove that occurred 30 years ago this month.

Metra customers are now required to carry their e-bikes and e-scooters on and off the train without the assistance of electric motors.

Amid a looming shortfall and concerns about layoffs, Metra directors have released a tentative operating budget that includes fare hikes of up to 15%.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois lawmakers will return to Springfield next week hoping to resolve a major unchecked box from the spring: Keep the trains in Chicago running

Metra will test out its prototype Café Car - with tables, stools and booths and counters – on several lines this fall to see what riders think.

A man was seriously injured early Thursday near Harvard when a freight train hit his car, which caught fire.

The Kane County Coroner’s Office has identified the remains of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a freight train near the Elburn Metra Station on Aug. 18.

Kane County investigators are still working to identify the remains of a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a freight train near the Elburn Metra Station on Aug. 18.

A pedestrian who was struck and killed by a freight train near the Elburn Metra Station Monday morning.

A woman injured when crossing train tracks in Crystal Lake and collided with Union Pacific Railroad maintenance machinery Tuesday morning was cited for driving around railroad gates, officials said.

A woman was injured as her car crossed train tracks in Crystal Lake and collided with Union Pacific Railroad maintenance machinery, officials say.

Those who take advantage of McHenry County's dial-a-ride services known as MCRide and MCRide Connect could see higher out-of-pocket costs next year.

People heading into Chicago from the Woodstock Metra station soon will be able to stay in a warming center while waiting for the train.

Metra is temporarily canceling two inbound and two outbound trains on the Union Pacific Northwest line that runs through McHenry County.

The Geneva Police Department will partner with Metra and Operation Lifesaver for a coordinated passenger safety campaign to raise awareness about rail safety.

Metra is adding more trains on the UP North, UP West and Rock Island lines Saturday and Sunday to accommodate those heading into the city for the third annual NASCAR Chicago Street Race.

Campton Hills stands to receive $9.45 million in permit fees from a proposed annexation of 962 acres with 900 homes, according to a draft agreement, but the Geneva school district isn't guaranteed any of that.

With no funding fix yet from the General Assembly, Metra leaders are wrapping their heads around a grim 2026 that could involve major cuts in service.

Transit agency officials met this week and formally began the process of planning for next year’s budget, including drawing up plans for major service cuts and potential layoffs

Chicago’s public transit agencies are now entering an uncertain future. Public hearings on service cuts could begin this summer, but lawmakers say they are dedicated to finding solutions

Legislation to save public transit from a $771 million budget shortfall passed the Illinois Senate Saturday but fizzled in the House, leaving concerns about massive cuts to Metra, Pace and the CTA.

Legislation proposing a menu of fees and taxes to fill a gaping budget hole facing Metra, Pace and the CTA falls short, a Regional Transportation Authority analysis indicated Friday.

A $1.50 delivery fee that was part of a transit funding bill that passed the Illinois Senate failed to pass the House, which adjourned early Sunday morning without concurring as some of its tax hikes became too controversial. For now, the fee is not happening.

A new plan to reform public transit that emerged Wednesday in the General Assembly would establish the Northern Illinois Transportation Authority in place of the Regional Transportation Authority and create one universal fare system.

A man who authorities said arrived on a Metra train in Crystal Lake with cocaine and a loaded pistol has pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges.

Huntley has acquired more than 150 acres of land near the intersection of Kreutzer Road and the railroad tracks.

Huntley says it's acquiring 12 acres for "future municipal purposes." Could it be for a train station, with the village ID'd as a stop on the new Chicago-to-Rockford line?

Metra is moving ahead on a new site for train storage along the rail line serving McHenry County, moving storage from Crystal Lake and Barrington for train cars when they're not in use.

Gary Gordon has been appointed to represent Lake County on the Metra Board of Directors, replacing Melinda Bush, who resigned from the board in January.

Two separate reform proposals for public transit got an airing Tuesday during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing that produced pointed questions.

A pedestrian was fatally struck Tuesday morning by an inbound Metra train in Downers Grove. authorities said.

A pedestrian was struck and killed Monday afternoon by a Metra train in Downers Grove, authorities said.

Woodstock is getting closer to getting a Metra rail yard that would be moved from Crystal Lake. Officials say the change would benefit both towns and Metra UP-Northwest riders.

The clock is ticking for transit agencies facing a crater-sized budget hole, Metra Executive Director Jim Derwinski has warned.

Amid a $770 million budget gap facing Metra, Pace and the CTA, and a proposal to merge the three into a supersized agency, Regional Transportation Authority leaders have issued their own transit rescue plan.

The Chicago regional public transportation system is facing a fiscal cliff without new funding. Where does McHenry County fit into the funding picture?

A new bakery, Nicola's Heavenly Cucina, has opened in the Lockport Metra station specializing in sourdough bread and classic Italian recipes made with all-natural ingredients.

Melinda Bush, Lake County’s appointed member on the Metra Board of Directors, has announced her resignation, effective Jan. 3, 2025.

Pace buses every 20 minutes? Pace buses in every town? Or a hybrid system? It’s in your hands, officials say.

Metra is offering special one-day passes allowing unlimited travel for $7 on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, and Black Friday, Nov. 29.