Where Elmhurst Train Station Plan Stands

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst is sticking with its plan for a new train station downtown.

Last July, the City Council voted for a design that includes wood, brick and a lot of glass. That followed public hearings and surveys made available to residents.

In response to a Patch inquiry, city spokeswoman Kassondra Schref said Friday that Elmhurst continues to move forward with the Metra station design.

She called it a large and complex project with many design elements. The project is expected to include the new station, warming shelters, a pedestrian tunnel, a platform reconstruction and surface parking improvements, she said.

"The pandemic slowed the project down a little as public meetings could not be held and the team needed to switch to a virtual format to solicit public input," Schref said.

The city is in the second phase of engineering, she said. It aims to bid on the project in late 2023 and start construction in 2024.

The city has a number of partners in the project – the state Department of Transportation, Metra, Union Pacific and the Pace bus agency.

Projections show that the station's weekday boarding will increase by a quarter by 2038.

The current station, which is considered undersized for its ridership, is the fourth busiest in the Metra system. It was built in the 1960s and updated in the 1980s.

In 2020, city officials said the project was expected to cost as much as $25 million, with $20 million coming from outside grants.