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Metra plans battery trains for Rock Island line, with service targeted for 2028
Metra showed off a battery-powered train at LaSalle Street Station as it prepares to introduce the North American first on the Rock Island line. The $234 million purchase is expected to bring quieter service to the 15-mile route between Chicago and Blue Island, with trains potentially carrying passengers beginning in March 2028.
Metra commuters got a look at a possible future for the region’s aging fleet Wednesday, when the railroad put a battery-powered train on public display at LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago. The train is expected to enter service on the Rock Island line in 2028, pending federal testing.
The public could tour the train at the Loop station through 6 p.m. Thursday. The display included two single-level passenger cars connected by a narrow passage through a battery car. The cars have modern seating, luggage racks and tables; the passenger trains planned for service will also include two additional cars with restrooms.
Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said the 15-mile Rock Island route to Blue Island is well suited to battery-powered trains. The trains can travel up to 70 miles on battery power and are quieter and produce less ground vibration than the diesel locomotives now used on the line, a potential benefit for South Side residents living near the tracks.
Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said the railroad is spending $234 million on the displayed train and seven more, with deliveries expected by the end of 2028. Each train will have operator cabs at both ends, with passenger cars and the battery car arranged between them.
The train on display is not ready to carry passengers: it still needs its batteries. Once they are installed, it will go to Colorado for federal testing before it can enter service. Metra is targeting March 2028 for the start of passenger operations.
The battery trains are part of a broader effort to modernize a fleet whose cars average 32 years old; the oldest was built in 1953. Metra has also said the smaller trains could eventually help it add more frequent service during off-peak hours, as more people travel outside traditional commuting times.
The trains are built by Stadler USA. The company makes similar battery-powered regional trains in Europe, while related versions operate on hydrogen power in California and diesel in Dallas. Metra’s trains will be limited to 79 mph, the current speed limit for its service.