August 07, 2026

Forever Open Clear & Free: 100 years of Electric Trains on Chicago’s Lakefront

Celebrating 100 years of the Metra Electric commuter rail's electrification, Chicago’s first coal-powered steam suburban train to electrify.

By Inbal Armony, ELPC Summer Intern 2026

100 years ago today, on August 7, 1926, over 40,000 Chicagoans filled the streets with parade floats and brass bands to celebrate the city’s first electrified commuter rail line, today known as the Metra Electric. The then Illinois Central Railroad’s Suburban line began in 1856 to connect the fledgling suburban community of Hyde Park to Chicago, but service grew and triggered a real estate boom on the South Side. By 1925, it provided 23.9 million annual trips along the lakefront to suburban Matteson, stopping at the iconic sites of two world fairs, Jackson Park, and Pullman.

But the route’s popularity came at a price: the coal-powered steam engines of the time left a hazy, polluting mark of smoke and cinders across the Lake Michigan shoreline. Even a century ago, Chicagoans cared deeply about preserving and protecting our beloved lakefront. So, in 1919, the city of Chicago passed an ordinance requiring the Illinois Central Railroad to electrify its suburban service. This anniversary is a good reminder that environmental regulations have been around for a long time, and we can do big things for public health. Here are some highlights of the history, legacy, and future of electric commuter rail in Chicago:

Lakefront Protection & Environmental Benefits

Chicago’s lakefront is one of its most beloved features. Miles of parks, trails, beaches, and preserves connect communities with the natural world and the water. But the lakefront has also long been a contested site, as residents repeatedly fought attempts to use it as a dumping ground. One of the city’s first plats in 1836 designated the eastern shore “forever open, clear and free,” which became a rallying cry. Montgomery Ward, the mail-order delivery magnate, fought a series of legal battles in the 1890s and early 1900s to clean up municipal and industrial waste along the shore.

Electrifying the Illinois Central line was an important victory in this fight. A 1908 Chicago city report pointed out that the line “occupies much of the lakefront. It is in the midst of a park and boulevard system which at present it greatly harms.” The public was vocal as well: in 1891 Chicagoans wrote a petition for the railroad to use a less smoky form of coal “in order that the Lake may be reasonably enjoyed by the citizens of Chicago, which is now impossible.” By eliminating the coal smoke that obscured the sky and choked park visitors, the lakefront became a healthier, more pleasant place for recreators, commuters, and wildlife.

Compared to the rest of Metra’s diesel-powered fleet today, the electric trains emit zero smog-forming NOx nor small particulate matter, known to worsen asthma, increase cardiovascular risk, and contribute to lung cancer. As the grid becomes greener with more renewable energy, the Metra Electric line’s greenhouse gas footprint has (and will continue to) reduce dramatically (see chart below). From 2010-2024, this one train line avoided approximately 470,600 metric tons of CO2e by not burning diesel. One train can carry hundreds of people and reduce car traffic, so the more people ride, the better it is for the environment.

The Ups and Downs of Electric Transportation

To meet the city’s new requirement, the private railroad spent $20 million (equivalent to almost $380 million today) to electrify, and it paid off. The line proved popular, with rapid transit-like service characteristics: closely spaced stations, frequent service, and high-level platforms—unlike typical commuter rail. Electrification further sped up the service, with quicker stop and start times.

Chicago’s inner-city elevated loop trains already used third-rail electric power, the streetcar system used overhead wires, and about a third of the city’s personal passenger cars were battery electric in those early days. Electric transportation was booming, so commuter, long-distance, and freight trains felt like a natural next step. New York City banned steam trains through Grand Central in 1908, which pushed most of the northeast corridor’s commuter and long-distance railroads to electrify, and the area continues to serve electric Amtrak trains to this day. The Illinois Central was supposed to electrify its long-distance and freight trains by 1940 as well. But despite the Metra Electric line’s success, it remains the only electric suburban commuter service in Chicagoland. So, why didn’t more trains electrify?

The biggest culprit was the diesel locomotive. Diesel was cheaper than stringing wires and still cleaner than coal, so the railroads switched from coal-powered steam to diesel electric engines to pull their commuter, freight, and long-distance passenger trains in the 1940s and 50s. Declining ridership and the rise of car culture were also key factors. The federal government poured money into highways, gas subsidies, airports, and the suburban American dream, making it harder for private railroads to compete, much less invest in electric innovation. From the Metra Electric line’s peak of 47 million trips in 1946, today there are only 3.7 million per year.

By the 1970s and 80s, most transit and passenger rail systems were absorbed by the public sector. When the old Illinois Central line fell under the new public agency, Metra, it was run more like the diesel commuter trains elsewhere, focused on rush hour suburban trips, losing the connective potential of its formerly frequent transit-like service. The disconnect between (suburban) Metra and (city) CTA agencies was also a barrier to growing ridership, making it difficult and expensive for people to transfer between buses and trains to destinations outside of downtown.

Metra Electric & the South Side

Migration patterns and demographic change have seen the Metric Electric communities become markedly more diverse over the years. In the first half of the 20th Century, the Illinois Central long-distance railroad was a conduit for southern African Americans to flee the Jim Crow South for more legal freedom and economic opportunity in cities like Chicago. After many white residents of the South Side and south suburbs moved away and the steel mills closed, the South Side saw decades of disinvestment. Racial covenants and “redlining” made Chicago one of the most segregated cities in America, resulting in large and persistent income inequality and lower job access for Black and Latino Chicagoans.

Amid the fraught racial history, the Metra Electric has played a role in black mobility. As African Americans have gained economic prosperity and sought homes in previously off-limit communities of the South Side and south suburbs, the train served as a lifeline to jobs. Looking forward, the line has so much potential to improve these connections. Stopping in the Loop, Soldier Field, McCormick Place, the University of Chicago, the new Obama Presidential Center, Pullman National Historical Park, the Governors State University, and even close to the new Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, the train connects so many important cultural and economic sites.

What Comes Next?

Fortunately, we could be at the start of a Metra Electric revival. Thanks to the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act (NITA), a $1.5 billion-dollar investment and reform of Northeast Illinois’ public transportation, Metra has already increased service on the Metra Electric this summer. But NITA promises much more in the years to come, including a unified fare, schedule, and planning authority across Chicago’s three transit agencies: CTA, Metra, and Pace. Hopefully, these improvements will allow South Siders to better connect to the rest of the city by making transfers easier.

In addition, Metra is buying new electric trains for their Rock Island line, which also serves the South Side. Unlike the Metra Electric trains, which use overhead wires to connect to electricity, these trains will be battery-powered. The $169.3 million federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) grant was received in 2024, and delivery is anticipated in 2027. The dream of 1919 is alive as commuter rail once again explores cutting edge clean technology.

Thinking back on the past 100 years, it is inspiring to see the impact and power of a decisive government ordinance that put people and the environment first. As I ride the Metra Electric train every day to work at ELPC, I feel proud to ride a train that has protected and continues to protect the health and safety of Chicago’s residents and beautiful lakefront. I hope that 100 years from now, future Chicagoans may celebrate 100-years of pro-transit and pro-environment policies like NITA that help make this city a cleaner, healthier, and more just place for all.

Additional Reference: Alan R. Lind. 1986. Limiteds Along the Lakefront: The Illinois Central in Chicago