Harvard station (Metra) explained

Style:Metra
Harvard
Symbol Location:chicago
Address:1 North Ayer Street
Harvard, Illinois
Coordinates:42.4199°N -88.6175°W
Other: Pace Buses
Structure:Brick
Platform:1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks:3
Parking:Yes, parking lot operated by City of Harvard
Passengers:265 (average weekday)
Pass Year:2018
Pass Percent:19.9
Pass Rank:151 out of 236
Opened:1993
Accessible:yes
Owned:Union Pacific
Zone:4
Other Services Header:Former services
Other Services Collapsible:yes
Map State:collapsed
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Custom:
Shape:none
Line:none
Marker:rail
Marker-Color:
  1. ffde02
Zoom:15

Harvard station is a Metra commuter rail station in Harvard, Illinois. It is the terminus of the Union Pacific Northwest Line. Harvard is the farthest Metra station from Chicago at 63.16miles from Chicago; the next furthest stop, on the North Central Service, is over 10 miles closer to Chicago at 52.9miles.[1] The station contains a parking lot operated by the City of Harvard. A coach yard is adjacent to the station and is used to store trains during weekends and overnight hours. Harvard was the only Metra station located in the M zone, until all fare zones beyond J were retired by Metra in 2018. Trains that traveled to Chicago passed through an entire fare zone to reach . No stations were located in zone L. Originally, Hartland was the only station located in zone L, however, the stop was closed in 1984. Harvard was then located in fare zone J until February 2024, when the fare structure was simplified across the system. Harvard is now in Zone 4. It is the westernmost station of the Metra system; the next most westerly stop is on the Union Pacific West Line. Harvard is the last station to use more than one track, as further beyond this station, the UP line is single tracked until reaching Janesville, Wisconsin.

Being Chicago's most northwesterly commuter rail station, the Harvard station attracts commuters from the Rockford and Belvidere region of northern Illinois as well as south-central Wisconsin., Harvard is the 151st busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 265 weekday boardings.[2]

As of February 16, 2024, Harvard is served by 27 trains (14 inbound, 13 outbound) on weekdays, by 20 trains (10 in each direction) on Saturdays, and by 15 trains (seven inbound, eight outbound) on Sundays.

Bus connections

Pace

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Railroad Operating Information: Union Pacific. Chicago Railfan.
  2. Web site: Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018. April 2019. metrarail.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20190526034459/https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf. 26 May 2019.