Metra ticket app woes continue Monday

After multiple problems last week, Metra’s Ventra ticket app malfunctioned again Monday affecting morning and afternoon commutes.

Metra’s app provider Cubic apologized for the glitches.

“We are aware there is an operating issue with the Ventra mobile app and our team is working to get it back up and running as soon as possible,” Cubic General Manager Matt Newsome said.

“We apologize for the inconvenience this is causing riders today and are committed to actively addressing it and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Metra alerted riders the app wasn’t working properly around 7 a.m. Monday.

By 3 p.m., Ventra was still misfiring, officials said.

“Customers trying to make purchases and even possibly launching tickets may experience issues. We are working with our vendor to restore functionality,” they announced.

The app first crashed Thursday as Metra was launching a new zoning and fare system.

On Sunday, the railroad said it appeared the vendor, Cubic, had fixed the problem and was confident the app would perform during the morning rush.

The technical failures coincided with Metra ending in-person ticket sales by agents at stations. Metra has been installing new machines to dispense fares across its system.

In the meanwhile, conductors aren’t collecting fares from customers affected by the situation.

The Chicago Transit Authority also experienced some glitches Monday, spokesman Manny Gonzales said.

“The Ventra mobile app is working, after CTA experienced some intermittent issues this morning related to purchasing CTA/Pace fares,” Gonzales said. “Vending machines, website and retail-location purchases were unaffected, and customers could still tap to ride at all bus and rail readers.”