All aboard the M1? Metra considers renaming train lines
Instead of the BNSF Line, how about West 3 (W3)? Or switching the Union Pacific North Line to Metra 1 (M1)?
Metra is surveying passengers about a potential rebranding to make train lines easier to understand for infrequent travelers.
Riders can provide input online at surveymonkey.com/r/MWB8K29 or attend an outreach event Thursday at Millennium and LaSalle Street stations.
The discussion comes as the Union Pacific Railroad is handing off its routes to Metra to operate. The commuter railroad intends to discontinue “Union Pacific” as a route name.
Currently, Metra’s line names “follow no logical or consistent pattern,” officials said.
Some are named after freight railroads, like the BNSF and the Milwaukee District, which harks back to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad known as the “Milwaukee Road” and traveled between Chicago and Wisconsin.
Others are named for directions, such as the Southwest Service, or how trains are powered, like the Metra Electric. And the “Heritage Corridor” was chosen to reflect the nearby new I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor.
Meanwhile, Metra uses colors to designate its line on maps and timetables.
“The result can be confusing for new users, and for those who have limited proficiency with English,” officials said.
The survey asks respondents basic questions about how often they travel on Metra and on what line. Then participants can chose among three options.
• Keep the status quo with the exception of the UP lines.
• Use a single color for each line and designate them with “M” for Metra and numbers. For example, the UP Northwest would be “M2,” the North Central Service would be “M4.”
• Use a single color to indicate lines that travel to and from the same downtown station, a letter to show the direction they travel in from the city, and a number. For example, lines that travel west from Union Station would be colored gold and renamed W1 for the Milwaukee District West and W3 instead of the BNSF.
For more information, go to metra.com.