Special Saturday Service Offered On Heritage Corridor Line

LEMONT, IL — Metra will be offering special service on the Heritage Corridor Line on ten Saturdays this summer, giving Chicago area residents opportunities to explore bike and running paths, festivals, craft breweries, restaurants, and vibrant communities along the historic route, according to a release from Metra.

The excursions, dubbed “Rails, Trails and Ales,” will provide three round-trip trains, each equipped with Metra’s new bike cars to carry extra bikes, on ten consecutive Saturdays from July 2 through Sept. 3.

Metra said the trains will leave Chicago Union Station at 10:30 a.m., 4:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. and make all stops to Joliet. Inbound trips will depart Joliet at 8 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., making all stops to Union Station.

The schedule also provides an opportunity for those living along the Heritage Corridor to use Metra for trips to the city on Saturdays.

Full schedules can be viewed at here.

Towns on the Heritage Corridor Line include Chicago, Summit, Willow Springs, Lemont, Romeoville, Lockport and Joliet.

“Summer is a great time to explore the entire Chicago region and adding this special excursion service is an affordable way for My Metra riders to explore some areas that aren’t normally served by trains on weekends," Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a release. “Bring your bike on board and ride a bike path. Check out a weekend festival. Ride a zip line. There are scores of possibilities along the Heritage Corridor Line.”