Metra, and other things

[Green Maned Lion]

First, I'm heading into Newark Penn tomorrow on NJT NJCL to pay for and officially change my upgraded tickets so that I am no longer underpaying Amtrak for my g/f. I made the arrangement on the phone and she said that I could exchange the tickets and pay the difference at any time between then and my travel date. Is Amtrak's facility there equipped for this? Also, I noticed the bucket rate going up since we made that call. The reservations were already changed, but will I have to pay the higher bucket?

Second, and actually relevant to the above topic heading:

I'm arriving into Chicago on March 2nd on the Capitol Limited, and I have a friend in Chicago. She wants to take us out to lunch at a place near her house, which happens to be in Westmont. Which means I have to take the BNSF line (Burlington Northern Santa Fe owned and dispatched, I presume?) from CUS to Westmont. I have some uneasy feelings about this. First of all, I don't know how close to schedule the Capitol Limited arrives into Chicago. Second, I don't know her all that well. She's a mild net friend who I talk to and so on, but she is also very unreliable with promises and such. Not in a bad way, or anything. I mean I generally trust her.

But I don't know how her personal clock works. The train she promises that I will be on (you won't leave later than, says she) is a 6:49 train that arrives into Chicago at about 7:30, which is fine, obviously, with the Lake Shore leaving at 10:00. I'm on the Lake Shore Limited back, by the way. I know the train starts boarding at 8:00, and departs at 10:00, ideally.

However, if I miss the 6:49 train, the next one is two hours later and arrives in Chicago at 9:40, which is cutting it way too close for my tastes. So a question I have is, how good is Metra when it comes to schedule keeping, primarily on the BNSF line? Second, can I board that train at 9:59? I mean, obviously I don't want to do that under any circumstances. But can I board the train up to 10:00?

Lastly, lets say the unthinkable happens. What can I do then? Would Amtrak have the good graces to let me board the next days train? Will they let me use it to pay for a ticket on the next days train? I'm in coach, by the way. Would I have to pay the difference in bucket fares?

In otherwords, should I be pursuing a different course of action with my friend? I do want to do this, but I don't want to miss the train and be stuck with a wide range of additional costs I really can't afford.

 

[AlanB]

Newark should be able to handle changing things, and as long as the phone agent processed things properly you should not have to pay the current bucket prices. Note that you could still see a one bucket jump from the original price when you first booked, to the bucket in place at the time you changed things. I have no idea that a bucket was kicked, just warning you that it could have happened. Also the sleeper fare is unlikely to have been kicked up a bucket in that time period, so you should be safe there. It's on the LSL where you might get caught if things had changed between the original reservation and the current one.

Turning to METRA, BNSF is pretty reliable. But that said, I still wouldn't want to cut things that closely. First know that Amtrak probably cuts off boarding to the LSL by at least 9:55, if not 9:50. So that leaves you no more than 10 minutes for sure to get off the inbound train, walk around the station since you can't walk directly to the LSL, and get on the LSL. If I had to guess, I doubt that I could run from the METRA train around to the Amtrak waiting room in less than 2 or 3 minutes, and that depends on how busy the inbound train actually was. If there are a lot of people, it could take 5 minutes just to get off the train and down the platform. Especially if you were in the car farthest from the station and not already standing at the door.

So I would highly recommend not missing that train. If you see that it's going to be close, maybe she could head to a station closer to Union station so as to catch up with the train. You could also consider perhaps, having her take you to the UP-West line if things look tight. It seems that the UP line is about 15 minutes behind the BNSF line along the way. Note: UP-West goes into Ogilvie, not CUS, so you'll have to take a short cross-corner walk from one station to the other.

Finally if you do miss the LSL, assuming that space is available, they will let you rebook on the next day's train. You will have to pay the current bucket rate, but you will get full credit for the tickets that you turn in towards that current bucket rate. Also know that should you miss the train, you will not be allowed to spend the night in the station. They close that puppy down sometime after midnight and everyone must exit. So you'd have to find some place else to spend the night.

Why not try to catch the 4:49, that way you have the 6:49 as the emergency train? Odds are that you'll be able to catch the 10:30 AM METRA train out to Westmont, with the fall back being the 12:30 PM train. Even if you don't get the earlier train, the 12:30 would give you almost 5 hours in Westmont to have lunch and visit with your friend. The 12:30 train arrives at 1:10 PM.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I'm pretty sure she doesn't own a car. I'll have to talk to her about it. Thanks, Alan.

 

[AlanB]

Or have her ride METRA into Chicago and have lunch there. There are plenty of good places to have lunch, and it won't matter if her train going home is late. By the way she can ride down for $5 round trip. If you do go out to meet her, make sure that you both buy the METRA Weekend pass from the ticket window for $5. That's good on any line all weekend long. Whereas the fare to Westwood would be $3.80 one way, for a total of $7.60 each or $15.20 for the both of you. Better to pay the 10 bucks and pocket the $5.20 towards lunch.

 

[John Bredin]

Or have her ride METRA into Chicago and have lunch there. There are plenty of good places to have lunch, and it won't matter if her train going home is late. By the way she can ride down for $5 round trip. If you do go out to meet her, make sure that you both buy the METRA Weekend pass from the ticket window for $5. That's good on any line all weekend long. Whereas the fare to Westwood would be $3.80 one way, for a total of $7.60 each or $15.20 for the both of you. Better to pay the 10 bucks and pocket the $5.20 towards lunch.

I second the idea of meeting in Chicago. Plenty of places to eat within walking distance of Union Station, and a ton more within one bus ride of Union Station. For example, the #151 bus will take you to/from North Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile), and the #124 will take you to/from Navy Pier.

If you do take the bus, use the CTA fare card machine in Union Station next to the Metra ticket office. Regular fare is $1.75 with a $0.25 transfer (transfer=three rides within two hours, including the original fare) and a fare card is the ONLY way to transfer (that is, if you pay cash on the bus, you will NOT get a transfer!). Keep in mind the CTA one-day unlimited pass is only $5, and there is a visitor pass machine next to the regular fare card machine at Union Station.

Also, Metra fares go up February 1st, so while the above-stated $3.80 one-way fare to Westmont is correct (that's the new, post 2/1/08 fare), the Metra weekend pass is $7 and good only one day, not two. It's still a better deal to ride Westmont-Chicago on the pass than on two tickets. (Metra doesn't sell a "round trip" ticket but two one-way tickets.)

Have a nice time during your (brief) stay in Chicago!

 

[GG-1]

I second the idea of meeting in Chicago. Plenty of places to eat within walking distance of Union Station, and a ton more within one bus ride of Union Station. For example, the #151 bus will take you to/from North Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile), and the #124 will take you to/from Navy Pier.

Aloha

And I second, the second. The Navy Pier is a great place to visit and eat. Buba Gumps is my favorite there. Here is a shot from the Sheraton Hotel

of the pier. If the weather is good you could walk it but if you preferred a taxi ride is probably under $15 each way for several people. I paid $10 including tip and luggage to the Sheraton. I think the meter read under $5.

 

[frj1983]

First, I'm heading into Newark Penn tomorrow on NJT NJCL to pay for and officially change my upgraded tickets so that I am no longer underpaying Amtrak for my g/f. I made the arrangement on the phone and she said that I could exchange the tickets and pay the difference at any time between then and my travel date. Is Amtrak's facility there equipped for this? Also, I noticed the bucket rate going up since we made that call. The reservations were already changed, but will I have to pay the higher bucket?
Second, and actually relevant to the above topic heading:

I'm arriving into Chicago on March 2nd on the Capitol Limited, and I have a friend in Chicago. She wants to take us out to lunch at a place near her house, which happens to be in Westmont. Which means I have to take the BNSF line (Burlington Northern Santa Fe owned and dispatched, I presume?) from CUS to Westmont. I have some uneasy feelings about this. First of all, I don't know how close to schedule the Capitol Limited arrives into Chicago. Second, I don't know her all that well. She's a mild net friend who I talk to and so on, but she is also very unreliable with promises and such. Not in a bad way, or anything. I mean I generally trust her.

But I don't know how her personal clock works. The train she promises that I will be on (you won't leave later than, says she) is a 6:49 train that arrives into Chicago at about 7:30, which is fine, obviously, with the Lake Shore leaving at 10:00. I'm on the Lake Shore Limited back, by the way. I know the train starts boarding at 8:00, and departs at 10:00, ideally.

However, if I miss the 6:49 train, the next one is two hours later and arrives in Chicago at 9:40, which is cutting it way too close for my tastes. So a question I have is, how good is Metra when it comes to schedule keeping, primarily on the BNSF line? Second, can I board that train at 9:59? I mean, obviously I don't want to do that under any circumstances. But can I board the train up to 10:00?

Lastly, lets say the unthinkable happens. What can I do then? Would Amtrak have the good graces to let me board the next days train? Will they let me use it to pay for a ticket on the next days train? I'm in coach, by the way. Would I have to pay the difference in bucket fares?

In otherwords, should I be pursuing a different course of action with my friend? I do want to do this, but I don't want to miss the train and be stuck with a wide range of additional costs I really can't afford.

I ride the BNSF Metra line everyday and it's timing is very good. However, we are having a really rough and regular Midwest Winter this year (more snow and cold than we've gotten in years...with more predicted), and have had some weather related delays (frozen switches, gates not functioning, etc.). We have also, lately, had our share of nut cases committing suicide via car and this creates unbelievable travel hassels...hopefully this calms down sometime soon!

However, March 2nd is still winter and the way this winter has gone, I still expect snowfall and cold. In other words, plan to be early everywhere you are going!

 

[mercedeslove]

I second the idea of meeting in Chicago. Plenty of places to eat within walking distance of Union Station, and a ton more within one bus ride of Union Station. For example, the #151 bus will take you to/from North Michigan Avenue (the Magnificent Mile), and the #124 will take you to/from Navy Pier.

Aloha

And I second, the second. The Navy Pier is a great place to visit and eat. Buba Gumps is my favorite there. Here is a shot from the Sheraton Hotel

of the pier. If the weather is good you could walk it but if you preferred a taxi ride is probably under $15 each way for several people. I paid $10 including tip and luggage to the Sheraton. I think the meter read under $5.

This time of Year NP isn't fun. It's cold and there isn't much to do there. Sadly =[