More Metra riders, fewer trains on time

As ridership continues to skyrocket, more commuters hopped on Metra this June than in any other month in the agency's 22-year history, but train tardiness may be becoming a problem.

Metra officials reported Friday that about 7.3 million rides were provided in June and so far this year, ridership is up about 9 percent over the same period last year.

High gas prices, increasing road congestion and service improvements are likely reasons for the boost, Metra officials said.

Meanwhile, on-time performance is slipping. In June and July, the number of trains running on schedule dipped to a relatively low 91 percent during the weekends and 95.4 percent on the weekdays.

During those same months last year, nearly 95 percent of trains were on time on the weekends and 95.9 percent were on time on weekdays.

Bill Tupper, Metra chief operations officer, said the delays are due in part to the increased ridership, which can lengthen boarding times. Track repairs may also be playing a role, particularly on weekends, he said.

About 55 percent of all 851 delayed trains were late between 6 and 10 minutes, while 12 percent were late more than 21 minutes, Tupper said.