Metra on Tuesday rolled out a new train-tracking system that will give riders real-time information about where the trains are.
The new system is intended to make train schedules more accurate, Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said in a statement.
The new website predicts train arrival and departure times up to two hours in advance based on trains’ locations. It also features a live map of Metra trains in service that’s updated every 12 to 30 seconds.
“It’s obviously all about the customer,” Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis said. “If we can provide the best information to them, it just makes the system more useful, more convenient, gets them more willing to ride it.”
Live tracking will be available on a new transit dashboard at https://metra.com/metratracker and the Ventra app. Metra will also send location data to Google and other third-party apps to improve internet searches for train arrival times, Gillis said.
To keep these maps running, GPS trackers have been installed on six of 11 Metra lines over the past two years, Gillis said. The dashboard now provides information about the Metra Electric, Rock Island, Heritage Corridor, Milwaukee District West, Milwaukee District North and North Central Service lines.
The remaining five Metra lines will be outfitted with tracking equipment this year.
By the end of the year, trackers will be installed on a total of 1,000 train cars across all 11 lines and at 238 Metra stations.
The $26.7 million project was contracted out to Clever Devices, a New York company specializing in transportation technology. Each tracker takes six days to install, Gillis said.
The dashboard will be finalized at the end of the year, Gillis said, when GPS installation is finished. It will also feature a route planner, where commuters can plan trips around preferences like the least walking time or fewest stops.
About 117,000 passengers ride a Metra train each weekday, according to the most recent Metra ridership report. Ninety-five percent of Metra trains arrived within six minutes of their scheduled time in 2022.
One-way Metra tickets range from $4 to $9.50 depending on the length of the ride. Day passes cost $6 to $10.
