Chicago – New Year’s Even Transit Guide

December 31, 2024

    …3,2,1 Happy New Year!

    🎆This new year’s leave the driving to the professionals! CTA, PACE and Metra are offering FREE rides for New Year’s Eve so you can have fun and get home safely.

    🚍Most agencies are offering Sunday service for New Year’s Day, details below.

    🥂Reminder that on Metra, Alcohol will be banned on all trains after 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

    New Year’s Eve Service By Agency

    CTA

    • Ride for FREE on CTA this New Year’s Eve. The free rides will be available on both CTA trains and buses from 10 p.m. Tuesday, December 31 until 4 a.m. Wednesday, January 1. 
    • Take CTA to the NYE Fire Works at Navy Pier:
      • Rail: All rail lines downtown will get you access to the event.
        • The Yellow Line service hours will be extended until 2 a.m.
        • The Purple Line service hours will be extended until 1:40 a.m.
      • Bus: The following bus routes that serve the area will be rerouted with extra service:
        • #29 State
        • #65 Grand
        • #66 Chicago
        • #124 Navy Pier
    • Wednesday, Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day) – Operating on a Sunday/holiday schedule. 

    PACE

    • To help Chicagoland residents celebrate safely this New Year’s Eve, Pace will provide free bus and ADA Paratransit rides from 10 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31 until 4 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1
    • Sunday schedules will also be in effect on New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1).

    METRA

    • Metra will offer free rides on all trains arriving at or departing from Metra’s downtown stations after 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve. Alcohol will be banned on all trains after 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
    • New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31: All lines will be operating on reduced schedules. To allow those ringing in the New Year in the city enough time to catch the last trains, Metra will hold the departure of the last outbound trains on the BNSF, Metra Electric, Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West, Rock Island, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines from downtown until after 1 a.m. The last Southwest Service train will depart downtown at 12:42 a.m.
    • New Year’s Day, Jan. 1: All lines will be operating Sunday schedules. There will be no service on the Heritage Corridor, North Central and Southwest Service.

    Here’s to an unforgettable 2025! 🎉

    The USA Moovit Team

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