CHICAGO – OCTOBER 18: Metra trains sits on tracks at the Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center, in Chicago, Illinois on OCTOBER 18, 2011. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Chicago-area residents will once again have the opportunity to get free rides on the CTA and Metra during their New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Both agencies have made announcements in recent days about the program, which will encourage use of public transit during one of the busiest holidays of the year.
Metra will offer free fares on trains arriving at or departing from downtown stations beginning at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Alcohol will be banned on all trains after 7 p.m.
The CTA will offer free rides between 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day, an offer that will apply to all buses and trains, according to the agency.
According to the agency, Molson Coors will be a presenting sponsor of the annual program this winter.
More information can be found on the CTA’s website.
Local
While CTA trains will operate on normal schedules, Metra trains will operate on reduced schedules on New Year’s Eve. The final trains out of the city on the BNSF, Metra Electric, Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West, Rock Island, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines will be held until after 1 a.m., according to officials.
Trains on Christmas Eve will operate with reduced schedules, while trains on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day will operate on Sunday schedules, according to Metra officials.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
A special $7 pass will be available to riders on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, allowing unlimited rides throughout the day.
More information can be found on Metra’s website.
Riders can download the Ventra app for the latest tracking information for both CTA and Metra’s systems. Fares can also be purchased on the app for both agencies, according to officials.
