Metra to Add Electric Outlets, Seats With Armrests to Railcars

New seats and electrical outlets will be added to some Metra cars this year as part of a pilot program.

One train on Metra’s Milwaukee District line, which runs from Fox Lake to Union Station, will be equipped with the new blue-and-gray vinyl seats starting this week. The new seats have armrests, built-in cup holders and better head, neck and lumbar support, according to Metra.

Photo caption: New blue-and-gray vinyl seats are being added to some Metra cars through the end of the year.

The seat will replace the bench-style seating that Metra riders have become accustom to. One downside to the new seats: There is no option, like the current seats, to flip when riders want to socialize with a bigger group or want to face in the direction the train is moving. WGN reports Metra plans to install six four-seater options for those in bigger groups.

“The new higher-backed seats are stationary, meaning that depending upon the direction of travel, half of the seats will be backward-facing positions,” according to Metra.

Photo caption: Current bench-style seats on Metra cars

The new seats are being used on 30 railcars going through Metra’s Amerail car rehabilitation program. Metra plans to add the new seating to two cars per month between now and the end of the year on all Metra lines except the Metra Electric as part of a pilot program. Customers who use the news seats will be asked to provide feedback starting in February.

“These new seats offer amenities our customers have never had before – cup holders, armrests and higher backs,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “We will be asking our customers to give us feedback about the new seats, and we hope they like them and find them to be more comfortable than the current seating.”

In addition to the new seats, Metra will be adding electrical wall outlets to the rebuilt cars, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The outlets will be about shin-high and will be located in every other row.

Tell us in the comments section: What do you think about the upgrades to Metra cars?