Metra, TransLink break ground on station improvement projects

Metra and TransLink have broken ground on projects to renovate transit stations to improve the public transit experience. 

Metra breaks ground on new station entrance on Metra Electric Line  

Metra broke ground on a project to renovate the South Water Street entrance to Millennium Station on the Metra Electric Line. The project includes ADA improvements, new entrances with enhanced visibility at Lower South Water Street, a renovation of waiting areas, public restrooms and staff office areas, new employee facilities, replacement of staircases, canopies and elevators, a new vendor space, new lighting, benches, signs and station amenities and new digital displays with train-tracking information. 

PREMIER Design + Build Group of Buffalo Grove is the construction company completing the work. The company has committed to subcontract 25% of the work to disadvantaged business enterprise firms. The project cost is $8.1 million and is funded by the Federal Transit Administration and the Rebuild Illinois bond program. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. 

Metra recently completed renovation work done under the same contract at the 79th Street/Chatham, 87th Street/Woodruff and 103rd Street/Rosemoor stations on the Metra Electric Line. Similar work done at the 147th Street/Sibley Boulevard and Homewood stations in 2024 and is underway at the 95th Street/Chicago State University Station. Work is being planned for the Van Buren Street, 59th-60th/University of Chicago, 111th Street/Pullman, Harvey Transportation Center, Olympia Fields and University Park stations. 

“This work is part of a multimillion-dollar, multiyear effort to renovate stations along the Metra Electric Line,” said Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “The goal is to create stations that are more welcoming, comfortable, functional and safe for our customers.” 

TransLink to replace elevator at Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station 

On Oct. 21, TransLink will begin work to replace the 40-year-old elevator at Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station. The new elevator will take four months to finish construction and will feature a 20% increase in room compared to the previous elevator, which is roughly equal to three standing adults or two extra manual wheelchairs.  

The work is part of the Expo Line Elevator Replacement Program, which will improve SkyTrain station accessibility and reliability for customers by replacing 21 original elevators across 15 stations. Once complete, TransLink notes all the original Expo Line elevators will have been replaced with modern, more spacious ones. Work is currently underway at Nanaimo and 22nd Street stations, with Waterfront Station scheduled to start later this fall. 

TransLink notes the new Expo Line elevators will feature: 

• More room for customers with mobility devices, strollers, bikes and luggage. 
• Better reliability and reduced downtime for maintenance. 
• Better resilience in warm weather.