Metra to offer Saturday “Rails, Trails and Ales” Excursions on Heritage Corridor this fall Cycle on a trail, visit a festival or explore a community during the special service
CHICAGO (Sept. 15, 2021) – Metra will be offering special service on the Heritage Corridor Line on five Saturdays this fall giving Chicago area residents opportunities to explore the bike and running paths, festivals, craft breweries, restaurants, and vibrant communities along the historic route. The excursions, dubbed “Rails, Trails and Ales,” will provide two round trip trains, each equipped with Metra’s new bike cars to carry extra bikes, on five consecutive Saturdays (Sept. 18, Sept. 25, Oct. 2, Oct. 9, and Oct.16). The trains will leave Chicago Union Station at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and make all stops to Joliet, with the return trips leaving Joliet at 1:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and making all stops to Union Station. Full schedules can be viewed at metra.com. “Fall is a great time in Chicago and we thought this special service would be a great way to help
My Metra riders explore some areas that aren’t normally served by train on weekends,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “Bring your bike onboard and ride a bike path. Check out a weekend festival. Ride a zip line. There are scores of possibilities along the Heritage Corridor Line.” Metra’s Heritage Corridor Line was named after the historic Illinois & Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor, which the rail line parallels. Many of the towns that are now stops on the line are closely linked to the canal’s creation, with rich and interesting histories, and bike paths that use the canal’s former towpath or connect with it are accessible from many of those stops. Metra’s $7 Saturday Pass, which offers unlimited rides for a single fare, makes exploring the
Chicago region by rail an unbeatable bargain. A list of some of the events, sites, restaurants, breweries, and biking/hiking paths near each Heritage Corridor stop can be found at metra.com. In addition, the Forge Adventure Park in Lemont will give a 15% discount on an activity or food/beverage when you show or mention your Metra ticket.