CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra will operate a modified Saturday schedule on most lines Friday, Dec. 23, as blizzard conditions are forecast for the Chicago area and many commuters will already have begun their Christmas holiday.
Regular schedules are planned for today (Thursday, Dec. 22), although passengers are advised to allow extra travel time beginning Thursday evening, when the storm is expected to arrive in the area.
The Friday schedules are available on this page of Metra’s website. The North Central Service, which does not operate on weekends, will run on a modified weekday schedule, while two other lines that don’t offer weekend service, the SouthWest Service and Heritage Corridor, will run on their regular weekday schedules.
South Shore Line commuter service anticipates operating regular schedules throughout the period of the storm, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District said in a Wednesday advisory. Any changes to that plan will be posted at the home page of its website.
As of Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service forecast for the Chicago area calls for conditions to “rapidly deteriorate” after noon CST, with 2 to 5 inches of snow in a 24-hour period.
— Updated at 6:55 a.m. CST with South Shore Line information.
