What to Expect Onboard

Bikes and scooters are permitted on all trains, either in the priority seating areas of ADA railcars or in spaces designated for bikes on railcars with a bike logo. There is no charge to bring your bike on the train. E-bikes and e-scooters are allowed.

Bike and scooter spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, but customers with disabilities have priority in the ADA spaces. Customers with bicycles and scooters may be required to leave the train if ADA-accessible space is needed for boarding passengers with disabilities. Every effort will be made to accommodate customers elsewhere on the train before requiring that they leave.

Crews have the right to refuse bikes and scooters if all spaces are filled or if ADA seating is needed for customers with disabilities.

Bicycle warning dates: On certain weekends when higher-than-normal ridership is expected, such as the St. Patrick's Day holiday or Lollapalooza, Metra may issue "bicycle warnings" to cyclists that there may not be room for bicycles on the trains.

Customers can inform Metra they were denied boarding through the Contact Us form by selecting "Bicycle Denied Boarding."

Read below for more details about Metra's bicycle policy

Bike Storage Locations

Bikes can be stored in two potential locations:

On all trains, the priority seating area of each ADA-accessible railcar can be used to store bikes and scooters, as long as the space is not needed for customers with disabilities. Up to five bikes or scooters are allowed per accessible diesel railcar and two bikes are allowed per Metra Electric car, all of which are accessible. An ADA symbol on the outside of the railcars indicates accessibility. Bicycles must be secured to the lower rail of folding seats with long bungee cords or other devices supplied by the cyclist.

In addition, there are new bike racks on about 90 cars, which can be identified by an exterior bike logo. The racks can hold two to four bikes and can also be used to store scooters. Bicycles must be secured to the racks with a built-in strap or the cyclist’s own strap or lock.

On some trains, there are bike cars that have multiple racks. They can be identified by a blue exterior paint scheme.

Other rules

• Bicycles and scooters must not exceed 80 inches long and 30 inches wide.
• Bicycles must be kept clean and free of dirt and grease while aboard Metra trains and must not present a hazard to other customers.
• Bicycles, scooters, and any connected equipment must be safely loaded and unloaded in a single trip without causing any hazard to the customer or others.
• Individual customers with bicycles or scooters must be at least 16 years old. Customers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult to bring a bicycle or scooter.
• Train crews are not required to assist with boarding bicycles or scooters, and the wheelchair lift may not be used to load or unload bicycles or scooters.
• Gas-powered bicycles and scooters are prohibited.
• Bicycles and scooters cannot block aisles or impede passenger movement. Customers must always stay in the vicinity of their bicycle or scooter.
• If the train needs to be evacuated in an emergency, bicycles and scooters must be left on the train clear of aisles and doors.
• Folding bicycles and folding scooters may be brought onto any train car and may accompany a person to a seat provided they are small enough to fit between the legs of a seated customer or can be stored under a seat.  Folding bicycles and folding scooters must be in the folded position prior to boarding and cannot block any other seats from use by other customers.

Resources

• Metra interactive map of bike parking facilities, including survey bike counts and photos of racks.
• Ride Illinois Bike to Metra Guides, including bike maps of suggested routes, for over three dozen suburban stations
• Divvy bike sharing (available at Metra stations in City of Chicago and neighboring municipalities)
• City of Chicago Department of Transportation Bicycling
• Chicago Department of Transportation Bike Map
• Active Transportation Alliance

Alcohol is generally allowed on Metra trains, in moderation. Metra reserves the right to refuse service to anyone who is intoxicated or impaired. Unruly behavior will be not tolerated and all riders are required to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. Underage drinking on Metra trains will not be tolerated.

During the festival season, Metra prohibits alcohol and glass bottles on trains after 7 p.m. or all day on specific dates.

During restricted times, no alcoholic beverages or glass bottles will be allowed on Metra trains. Passengers on trains found with alcohol may be removed or arrested. All bags carried into the train stations or onto the train will be subject to inspection by police personnel. Metra reserves the right to refuse service to anyone who is intoxicated or impaired. Unruly behavior will be not tolerated and all riders are required to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. Underage drinking on Metra trains will not be tolerated. Anyone failing to follow these rules may be detained or arrested.

Service animals are allowed on all Metra trains at all times.

Small pets in enclosed carriers are permitted on non-peak period weekday trains arriving in Chicago before 6:31 a.m. and after 9:30 a.m., departing Chicago before 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m., and on all weekend trains. However, there is no guarantee that pets can be accommodated. Train crews have the right to refuse pets in the event of overcrowding. 

Metra’s rules for pets are as follows:

• Only small pets in enclosed protective carriers are allowed.
• Carriers will not be allowed to take up seats, seating areas or obstruct pathways on trains or in stations and must be small enough to be carried on by a single person. They must fit in a passenger’s lap or under the seat at all times.
• During an emergency requiring the evacuation of a train, passengers with pets may be required to leave their pet on the train.
• In the case that passengers with pets are required to get off the train before their destination, reimbursement will be based on the fare product used for that trip.
• Train crews are not required to assist with the boarding of pets. Passengers with pets must be able to board and detrain without assistance.
• There is no additional charge for passengers with pets.
• Metra reserves the right to remove passengers with pets that are noisy or disturb other customers.
• Owners will be responsible for the behavior and cleanup of their pets.

On certain weekends when higher-than-normal ridership is expected, such as the St. Patrick's Day holiday or Lollapalooza, there is an increased likelihood that pets cannot be accommodated due to overcrowding.

To give passengers some peace and quiet during their commute, Metra has designated Quiet Cars on all morning inbound and evening outbound rush-hour trains. The cars are designed to give riders a space free of some common nuisances such as cellphone calls, loud headphones and loud conversations.

On all lines except the Metra Electric Line, the Quiet Cars are the second car from the locomotive and the second car from the other end of the train on rush-hour trains with six or more cars. If there are five cars or fewer on the train, only the second car from the engine is a Quiet Car. On the Metra Electric Line, only the third car from the south end of the train is a Quiet Car. There are no Quiet Cars on two-car trains.

All Quiet Cars are identified with decals outside of the car and signage inside the car. The rules are simple: No cell phone calls. If passengers must answer their phones, they should make it brief or move to the vestibule or another car. Conversations are discouraged; if they must be held they should be short and in subdued voices. All electronic devices must be muted, and headphones should not be loud enough for anyone else to hear.

Quiet Cars are in effect on all inbound trains arriving downtown at or before 9 a.m. and all outbound trains leaving downtown between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. 

Metra expects Quiet Cars to be largely enforced by peer pressure. Many riders said that having a rule in place empowered them to ask noisy people to be quiet or move. Conductors carry small notices that they can discreetly present to passengers who are violating the quiet car rules. 

While our goal is to keep cars as quiet as possible, passengers should not expect the car to be completely silent. Metra hopes all passengers will remember to treat their fellow passengers with courtesy and respect, no matter where they are sitting.

Quiet Cars are a registered service mark of Amtrak.