Ventra app crashes on first day of new Metra fares, closed ticket windows

Metra customers, already facing new fares this week, have grappled with technological difficulties for two days after the Ventra app crashed, preventing the mobile sale of tickets.

The commuter rail agency announced in January it would overhaul fares and close the rest of its ticket windows on Feb. 1. The Ventra app, which Metra and CTA riders use to manage tickets as well as track trains and buses, was down as of Thursday morning, according to Metra, and problems continued Friday afternoon.

A Metra spokesperson said the agency had no indication when it would be up and running.

While mainly Metra purchases were affected, customers buying CTA or Pace tickets might have problems as well, according to a Ventra post on the X social media platform.

“We continue to work with our vendor to address these challenges and restore the Ventra app on behalf of all riders,” a CTA spokesperson said in a statement Friday. “We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. Transit personnel will be prepared to accommodate any riders unable to purchase fares through the Ventra app.”

An alert on Metra’s website informs riders the app is down, and tech teams are working to resolve the ongoing issue.

“It’s not the way we would have liked it to go,” Metra spokesperson Meg Reile said.

Any erroneous charges made while the app is down will be reimbursed by the customer’s bank, the agency alert said.

Metra is working with Cubic, the company that runs the app, to restore service, Reile said.

Until a fix is in place, commuters can show their frozen phone app to Metra employees before boarding trains.

“Basically, we’re telling customers to show their screen, show that it’s frozen and letting them ride,” Reile said. “Our conductors are aware.”

Customers looking to buy a monthly pass can use their January passes through Monday.

Sheila Harris, who commutes to work daily from Jefferson Park to downtown, said she’s been a paper ticket holder for years and felt overwhelmed riding the Metra on Thursday with the app crash.

“Technology isn’t really my thing, and trying to do it all online is difficult for me,” she said.

Harris said the lines at the ticket machines at the Gladstone Park station were long, but employees were doing their best assisting riders.

The new fee structure, approved by Metra’s board in November, is meant to simplify pricing and attract new riders. Among the changes, Metra is replacing the 10-ride ticket with a day pass five-pack available only on the Ventra app. And the $100 super-saver monthly pass is being phased out. Prices will be based on zones traveled. A monthly pass will cost $75 from Zone 2 to Zone 1; $110 from Zone 3 to Zone 1; and $135 from Zone 4 to Zone 1.

Before the changes went into effect, some Metra riders were concerned about what it would mean for their wallets and commutes. Commuter Daniel Gockman, 25, previously told the Chicago Sun-Times he had run into app issues before and was concerned about having more people on the app with the closure of ticket windows.

Cubic didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.