Metra breaks ground on passenger rail station improvement projects
Metra broke ground on two projects that will improve, expand and rehabilitate passenger rail stations along the Rock Island Line and the Metra Electric Line.
Improvements coming to 115th Street/Morgan Park Station
The $8.69 million project will improve the 115th Street/Morgan Park Station on the Rock Island Line by replacing the existing platform shelters, creating a new plaza and sidewalks and addressing stormwater management needs. The project will also include resurfacing the station’s two parking areas and new lighting.
“Today we celebrate a new beginning for this station,” said Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “After years of waiting, residents of the Morgan Park community will have a more attractive and comfortable facility that enhances this neighborhood.”
Metra awarded the contract to IHC Construction Companies LLC (IHC) of Elgin, Ill., after the company submitted the lowest responsive and responsible bid for the work. Metra says it has set a goal for the project to expend 25 percent of the contract total using disadvantage business enterprise (DBE) firms. Metra adds that IHC has committed to meeting this goal by using the following subcontractors: Araiza Corporation; Brandenburger Plumbing, Inc.; EOS Mechanical, Inc.; Pinto Construction Group, Inc.; and Sanchez Paving Company.
“An overall $10 million investment in this project from [Illinois] Gov. [JB] Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program will improve transit access and quality of life in one of Chicago’s great neighborhoods, as well as strengthen transportation across the region,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “We are proud to have worked with Metra to break ground on these improvements. We look forward to their customers experiencing the benefits soon.”
Work begins on Metra’s 95th Street/Chicago State University Station
Metra also began rehabilitation and expansion work on a separate $56 million project to improve the 95th Street/Chicago State University (CSU) Station’s accessibility and connectivity to the university.
“This is an opportunity to grow our relationship with Chicago State University and build a station that is a welcoming and comfortable gateway to the school and to our system,” Derwinski said. “We want to thank the federal, state and local officials whose steadfast support for this project got us where we are today.”
The project contract, awarded to John Burns Construction, includes the replacement of the existing headhouse, platform and stairs; construction of a new street-level entrance on 95th St. with a new storefront, enclosed entrance area and a new elevator; construction of a new platform with full-length canopy; construction of a new CSU campus headhouse; and a walkway and bike lane that connects to a new commuter parking lot and new tunnel entrance.
“This is an exciting project for Chicago State and the Southeast Side. The partnership between Metra and Chicago State will bring safe and equitable transit access to our community,” said CSU President Z Scott. “Bringing attention to the need for and importance of an updated Metra station was one of the first initiatives of my tenure at Chicago State. This groundbreaking marks years of hard work and dedication from all those involved.”
The station was closed in March 2025 for construction, which is expected to be completed in late 2027. The project is partially funded by the federal All Stations Accessibility Program.
Metra notes the 95th Street/CSU Station is one of several Metra Electric Line stations being renovated as part of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar effort to improve accessibility at its stations along the line. Work has been completed at the 79th Street/Chatham, 103rd Street/Rosemoor, 147th Street/Sibley and Homewood stations, and work is ongoing at the 87th Street/Woodruff Station.
Megan Perrero | Editor in Chief
Megan Perrero is a national award-winning B2B journalist and lover of all things transit. Currently, she is the Editor in Chief of Mass Transit magazine, where she develops and leads a multi-channel editorial strategy while reporting on the North American public transit industry.
Prior to her position with Mass Transit, Perrero was the senior communications and external relations specialist for the Shared-Use Mobility Center, where she was responsible for helping develop internal/external communications, plan the National Shared Mobility Summit and manage brand strategy and marketing campaigns.
Perrero serves as the board secretary for Latinos In Transit and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association Marketing and Communications Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in magazine writing and a minor in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.
