Amtrak or Metra? Some Amtrak commuters would opt for Metra

By Rob Golub

Sunday, March 6, 2005 2:08 AM CST

ABOARD AMTRAK - If Metra stations are opened in Racine County, at least some commuters who currently ride Amtrak from Sturtevant to Chicago are likely to abandon Amtrak.

The Journal Times boarded the 6:44 a.m. Amtrak train in Sturtevant Friday and rode it to Chicago, interviewing passengers on the way. The ride took just over an hour, as the soft clatter on the tracks and the comfortable seats allowed riders to spend their daily commute reading, tapping a laptop keyboard, or sleeping.

The commuters interviewed - all of whom had boarded in Sturtevant - did not have matching thoughts about Metra. Some felt extending Chicago's Metra commuter rail service to Racine County would be a flop, others thought it would be an economic bonanza, and some said they'd consider switching to the Metra.

Here's a sampling of what we heard when we asked, would you switch to the Metra if stations are opened in Racine County? I'd switch - the Metra has a better schedule.

Shan Sivanushanthan, 39, a computer consultant, said he'd switch to the Metra from Amtrak if there were Racine County Metra stations.

Chicago's Metra has more night-time choices, he said. On Amtrak, the last train to Sturtevant from Chicago leaves at 8:05 p.m. "If you miss the 8:05, that's it," Sivanushanthan said.

I'd consider switching since Metra service will probably be cheaper.

"Well, cost is obviously a factor," said Civil Engineer Chris Meier, 24. The Mount Pleasant commuter said he'd "definitely consider" switching to Metra if he could get on it in Racine County.

Metra service from Kenosha is currently cheaper than Amtrak service from Sturtevant.

Commuters can currently buy a ticket good for a month of round-trip travel on Amtrak for $311.

Commuters who get to Chicago from the Kenosha Metra station instead pay $165.70 for a month of round-trip travel.

I won't switch - the Metra is too slow.

"They make too many stops," said commuter Rick Ittner, 48, of Racine.

The Amtrak 6:44 a.m. gets into Chicago at 7:57 a.m., which isn't much more than an hour. It stops once, in Glenview.

The Metra stops in Kenosha at 6:53 a.m., stops 13 more times, and then gets to the Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago at 8:25 a.m. That's more than an hour-and-a-half.

Bill Frank, 58, of Caledonia, said he believes others would use an expanded Metra line, but for him it would be too slow to Chicago.

David Bernstein, 51, of Union Grove, agreed the Metra is has too many stops. "The train just takes too long and it's a lot less comfortable," he said. "This is a better train."

Bernstein is opposed to the proposed Metra expansion.

"It would be so expensive and benefit so few people directly. It would be a waste of money," he said. "If people think Miller Park was a waste of money, a Metra station for $156 million is a lot worse."

But Bob Miller, 57, an SC Johnson attorney from Wind Point who rides Amtrak a few times a year for Chicago conferences, had a different perspective. He feels adding Metra service to greater Racine will help solve a problem for the area - its distance from the interstate.

"No one can get to us," he said. "I think Metra would be an economic engine for Racine and Racine County."

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