Metra riders will have a new seat at the table with the latest change to commuter life: the Café Car prototype, which Metra debuted on Sept. 30.
This pilot program could become a regular occurrence along train lines depending on feedback Metra receives from their online survey.
The railway will be debuting the Café Car across their busiest train lines this fall to test the program and gather feedback.
During its run on the Rock Island line on Oct. 1, Metra gave a free drink and snack to passengers upon completion of the survey via QR code. The Café Car offered a variety of options including canned iced coffee, soda and prepacked chips and cookies.
The survey asked passengers how often they took the Metra, what they thought of the design of the Café Car, and what types of food and beverages they would like to have available onboard.
Ariana Anaya, a regular commuter on the train, expressed that she sees herself using this service for that “end of the day pick-me-up.”
“I’m battling the 3 p.m. slump right now,” Anaya said. “So I’m hoping it helps give a little jolt of energy before having to make the drive home after the train.”
The Café Car was designed differently than commuter cars, with the upper deck completely taken out, giving double the amount of usual head room. The prototype can seat approximately 20 passengers with chairs and a three-seater bar along the aisle.
Tables fitted with tic-tac-toe and checkers make the environment more engaging, allowing for passengers a game to play while commuting.
“I’m that type of person that will strike up a conversation with somebody next to me,” Anaya said. “So this kind of makes it a little easier, you know, like a little icebreaker.”
Metra’s director of communications Michael Gillis shared that this pilot program was born out of the railway’s effort to “attract new riders.”
“Since the pandemic, our research has really indicated we have about the same number of unique riders riding our system, but they’re just not riding it as often as they used to before the pandemic,” Gillis said.
“So we thought, let’s just create one prototype, put it in service, ask our riders what they think, and then hopefully we find some intersection between what our riders say they would like to see on this car and what we can practically do,” Gillis said.
Rider Jeremy Bates noted the impact of the Café Car during his trip on the Metra.
“I like taking the Metra from time to time leisurely for the fast speed and the comfort,” Bates said. “It’s just better than the ‘L’. And having something like this just improves your experience.”
Metra held a showcase of the Café Car for anyone to walk through and take a look at it on the morning of Oct. 6 at the LaSalle Street station.
Attendee and regular commuter Matt Munday shared his thoughts on the pilot program.
“It’s just nice to see them making improvements,” Munday said. “Our trains seem to be antiquated, so I feel like this is a step in the right direction.”
The Café Car will appear next on the BNSF line starting Oct.14. Riders can check the full schedule for times and departure stations on Metra’s website.
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