TRI-STATE TOUR CHICAGO CENTURY
Taking the Metra Train from Kenosha

In Summary • Geting To Downtown Chicago from Kenosha
Getting to Hammond from Downtown Chicago Via the South Shore Line
Getting to Hammond from Downtown Chicago Via the Metra Electric South Chicago Line and CTA Busses

Very Important Information About Taking the Metra Train Back from Kenosha to Hammond In the past, people have told us that they plan on taking the Metra train back to Hammond from Kenosha. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST DOING THIS since you will almost definitely get stuck on the way. In Summary There is no time advantage to taking the Metra train vs. our return transportation service. Only 40 people on Saturday and 20 people on Sunday can even make it to downtown Chicago on the Metra train due to bicycle limits on the train, and only 4 could even make it to Hammond from there. Each Metra train only allows 20 bikes and may not even accommodate bicycles at all during certain events in the summer. Click Here for more information. There is absolutely no way to avoid biking in the dark on very busy streets. At the absolute best you would get back to Hammond around 10:30 pm. And once you finally make it back to the starting location you would still have to drive home from there!

What happens if you don't make it and get left behind or are forced to bike on busy streets in the dark after already biking at least 85 miles that day already? Especially late on a weekend night when a larger percentage of drivers will have been drinking? We hope you don't get stuck in that situation. Here's the benefits of taking our return transportation service to Hammond:

• We guarantee that we can handle everyone who registers for this service before the registration deadline. Our return transportation service is by far the fastest, most reliable, and most direct way to get back to the event starting location.
• Even with heavy traffic, we expect the return transportation from Kenosha will only take about two and a half hours. Based on the schedules below, there is absolutely no time advantage to leaving on the Kenosha Metra train vs. our return transportation service to get back to downtown Chicago.
• Considering the cost of alternate travel methods is around $17.00 anyways, our transportation option is even less expensive.
• You'll save yourself a ton a headache and hassle. And who knows, maybe you'll save your own life from getting hit by a drunk driver that didn't see you riding at night.
• Ask yourself, why take a chance with your safety? For a few extra dollars? Is it worth it? We absolutely don't think so.

And here are the ugly steps to get it done. We spent many hours figuring it out so you won't have to.

Getting to Downtown Chicago from Kenosha Via the Metra Union Pacific North Line

• Click Here for more information about Metra trains including very important information about bicycle limits aboard each train.

Depending on when you arrive in Kenosha, you may have to wait around for a long, long time for the train. (The previous one departs at 8:34 am on both Saturday and Sunday).

• On Saturday, only two trains depart Kenosha after the ride at 6:49 pm and 10:20 pm.
• On Sunday, only one train departs Kenosha after the ride at 6:49 pm.

Each Metra train only allows up to 20 bikes per train and may not even accommodate bicycles at all during certain events in the summer. Click Here for more information about bicycle transportation on Metra trains.

The 6:49 pm train arrives in downtown Chicago at 8:28 pm, and the 10:20 pm train arrives in downtown Chicago at 11:58 pm. This is over an hour and a half train ride. Our transportation service leaves Kenosha soon after the route closes at 6:30 pm and arrives in downtown Chicago at approximately 8:30 pm.

• Click Here for the Metra Union Pacific North line schedule.

The train from Kenosha to downtown Chicago costs $9.50. You must remember to bring enough cash with you and if you do hope you don't lose it.

The train from Kenosha stops in downtown Chicago, but does not go all the way to our starting location. In fact, there is no direct transportation option to get to our starting location from downtown Chicago other than our return transportation service from Kenosha.

The two best alternate options to get to Hammond from downtown Chicago are by taking either either the South Shore Line train or Metra Electric South Chicago Line train and CTA busses.

However, all trains from Kenosha arrive in downtown Chicago after sunset at Ogilivie Transportation Center while both train lines to Hammond depart from Millennium Station which is a about mile away, so you would have to bike in the dark through downtown Chicago to get between trains.

Getting to Hammond from Downtown Chicago Via the South Shore Line
If you took the 6:49 pm train from Kenosha (which arrives in downtown Chicago at 8:28 pm), you could then take one of three South Shore Line trains to the Shouth Shore Line Hammond station. These trains depart Chicago at 9:15 pm, 11:15 pm, and 12:45 am and arrive at the Hammond station at 9:59 pm, 11:59 pm, and 1:26 am. If you took the 10:20 pm train from Kenosha (which arrives in downtown Chicago at 11:58 pm), you would be limited to just the 12:45 am train.

• Click Here for the South Shore Line eastbound weekend schedule.

Each South Shore Line train can carry at least 13 bikes since each car can carry 13 bikes. However each train may not be able to carry any more bikes because the South Shore Line cannot say exactly how many cars will be on each train. So it's very possible some people may have to wait for the next train or end up stranded in downtown Chicago.

The South Shore Line costs $7.00 from Millennium Station to Hammond. You must remember to bring enough cash with you and if you do hope you don't lose it.

And once you arrived the Hammond station you'd still need to bike over 4 miles to our starting location in the dark on major roadways because Hammond busses don't run that late.

And once you finally make it back to the start you would still have drive your car home!

Getting to Hammond from Downtown Chicago Via the Metra Electric South Chicago Line and CTA Busses

Getting from Downtown Chicago to the 93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station Via the Metra Electric South Chicago Line
If you took the 6:49 pm train from Kenosha (which arrives in downtown Chicago at 8:28 pm), you could then take one of two Metra Electric South Chicago Line trains. These trains depart Millenium Station at 8:40 pm and and 10:40 pm and arrive at the 93rd Street/South Chicago station at 9:17 pm and 11:17 pm. However, it is very possible that you could miss the 8:40 pm train because you would need to travel from Ogilivie Station to Millenium Station and the train from Kenosha could be late, and you would have to wait about two hours for the next train. If you took the 10:20 pm train from Kenosha (which arrives in downtown Chicago at 11:58 pm), you would be stuck because Metra Electric South Chicago Line trains do not run after that time.

• Click Here for the Metra Electric line schedule.

Each Metra Electric South Chicago Line train can carry at least 2 bikes since each car can carry 2 bikes. However each train may not be able to carry any more bikes because Metra cannot say exactly how many cars will be on each train. So it's very possible that a most people will have to wait for the next train or end up stranded in downtown Chicago.

The Metra Electric South Chicago Line train costs $4.25 from Millennium Station to the 93rd Street/South Chicago station. You must remember to bring enough cash with you and if you do hope you don't lose it.

To Get from the 93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station to Our Starting Location
If you took the 8:40 pm train from downtown (which arrives at the 93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station at 9:17 pm), you could then take the #30 CTA bus to 112th St. and Ewing Ave. which costs $2.25 per ride and is scheduled to arrive every 30 minutes. The #26 and #100 busses don't run on weekends. CTA busses do have bike racks which can carry two bikes each but if the bike rack is broken and doesn't work, which unfortunately happens a lot from our experience, you'd have to wait for the next bus.

If you took the 10:40 pm train from downtown (which arrives at the 93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station at 11:17 pm) you would be stuck because the #30 CTA bus departs the 93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station at 10:47 pm.

The #30 bus does not depart directly from the 93rd Street/South Chicago Metra Station however, so you would need to walk/ride about 2 1/2 blocks to the stop stop at 91st St. and Brandon Ave in the dark. In addition both the train and the bus are scheduled to arrive at exactly the same time at 9:17 pm, so most likely that you would have to wait almost 30 minutes to catch the next #30 bus.

After you arrive at 112th St. and Ewing Ave there is no public transportation service to our starting location so you would still have to bike about 2 miles in the dark through the south side of Chicago to our starting location.

And once you finally make it back to the start you would still have drive your car home!