Starting next month, there could be major changes to how you buy and use tickets on the Metra rail system.
The biggest change comes with the closure of ticket windows on all routes in the system. The BNSF Line ticket office will close by Jan. 8, and all remaining ticket offices, including Chicago’s downtown station, will close Feb. 1, the agency said.
As a result of this decision, vending machines will be installed at the busiest stops and passengers will be encouraged to use the Ventra app on their mobile devices.
Another change includes the elimination of 10-ride tickets and incremental fares. The 10-ride pass will instead be replaced with a five-pack day pass, priced at 9.5 times the one-way fare between zones, the agency said.
Incremental fares, which allow passengers to upgrade existing tickets between zones, will be phased out from February 1.
Finally, the Regional Connect Pass, available to all Monthly Passholders on the Metra system, will only be available via the Ventra app starting February 1st. Metra says these passes cost $30 and give you unlimited rides on CTA and Pace. officials.
This change coincides with a simplification of the fare system, with Metra reducing the number of zones covered from 10 to four. The agency said the discounted fare program ends on February 1, and the new fare system will reduce fares on nearly all lines except Metra Electric Line.
Click here for a complete list of prices and how zones are assigned.