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Metra Closing 111th Street Station Ticket Office In Morgan Park

By Howard Ludwig | August 9, 2017 10:14am
 Metra will to close the ticket office at its 111th Street Station in Morgan Park Sept. 8. The commuter rail service pointed to declining on-site ticket sales for the closure.
Metra will to close the ticket office at its 111th Street Station in Morgan Park Sept. 8. The commuter rail service pointed to declining on-site ticket sales for the closure.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

MORGAN PARK — Metra will close the ticket office at its 111th Street Station in Morgan Park on Sept. 8.

The commuter rail agency blamed declining on-site ticket sales for the closure of the ticket window at 11046 S. Hale Ave. The announcement made Wednesday also included the news that ticket sales will also cease in southwest suburban Mokena.

Both of these stops are on Metra's Rock Island District Line and serve about 600 customers each on weekday. Passengers will continue to have access to station's facilities and both positions are being eliminated through attrition, Metra said in a written statement.

“More than a third of all Metra tickets are now being purchased through the Ventra App,” said Don Orseno, Metra's executive director and chief executive officer.

In June, customers at the 111th Street Station bought a total of 1,237 tickets for the entire month, the lowest number of tickets sold at all 14 stations staffed by an agent on the line, which runs between Joliet and LaSalle Street Station.

Customers at the Mokena Station bought 1,381 tickets, the second-lowest number of tickets sold on the line.

Once the ticket windows close, customers will be able to buy one-way tickets on board from a conductor with cash at no extra cost. Customers can also buy tickets from an agent or vending machine at all five downtown stations, online or through the Ventra App.

On-site ticket sales were previously eliminated at the 91st, 95th and 99th Street stations on the Rock Island Line, the 57th Street Station on the Metra Electric Line and more. All those jobs were also eliminated through attrition.

“As our customers switch to this new ticketing option, we are able to eliminate ticket agent positions through attrition and be more efficient with our limited resources,” Orseno said.