Chicago's Metra commuter rail marked the 100th anniversary of the electrification of what is now the Metra Electric Line. This historic milestone transformed the city's South Side and south suburbs while helping shape and enhance Chicago's iconic lakefront corridor.

The event was also a celebration of recent reforms to public transportation in the Chicago area, changes that could be as transformative in the future as the major civic achievement a century ago, said officials.

The reforms include the creation of a new governing authority, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), and a significant boost in transit funding.

“This line has played an influential role in the history of Chicago and the south suburbs, and its electrification in 1926 had a dramatic impact on Chicago’s economic development and quality of life,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski. “Now, 100 years later, public transportation still plays a key role in the region’s health, and we now have a golden opportunity with NITA to make it work better and harder for the citizens of the region.”

Celebrating 100 Years

Metra celebrated its past and its future with several guests at a press conference. It also invited the public to tour three vintage railcars at Millennium Station that have served the line over the last 100 years.

Earlier this summer, it held several pop-up events at Metra Electric stations featuring displays and giveaways to customers.

The tracks for the line now known as the Metra Electric were laid by Illinois Central Railroad in 1850. Chicago approved their placement along the lakefront because they protected the shore from erosion. Still, that decision backfired over the years as Chicago’s front yard became crowded with dirty and noisy steam locomotives. To address the problem, the city required Illinois Central to electrify the line, which was completed in 1926, opening the way for the development of Grant Park and Burnham Park.

The first electric trains ran on July 21, 1926, the 70th anniversary of the start of the IC’s suburban service, and the city held a major party two weeks later, on August 7.

The electrification and grade-separation of the line, which cost about $52 million — the equivalent of nearly $1 billion today — was an overwhelming success that continues to this day, said officials.

Metra’s Electric Line Trains operate faster, cleaner, and quieter, with none of the freight interference that still plagues other Chicago railroad lines. The railroad acquired the line from Illinois Central in 1987, renaming it the Metra Electric.