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On May 8, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta announced that Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will provide more than $51.1 million to enable Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corp. (Metra) to complete three ongoing expansion projects:



• $24.3 million toward Metra's North Central Service Expansion Project, which is designed to help the agency boost commuter-rail service between Antioch and Chicago, Ill., from 10 trains per weekday with no mid-day service to 22 trains per weekday with mid-day services;



• $22.2 million toward the Southwest Service Expansion & Extension Project, which is designed to extend a 39-mile line that currently provides service between downtown Chicago and Orland Park 11 miles southwest to Manhattan, Ill. Funds also will be used to complete a track and structure upgrade, install a new signal control system, complete double-track extension projects, expand a coach yard, enlarge passenger facilities at existing stations, increase commuter parking and build two new stations; and



• $4.6 million for the Union Pacific West Line Extension Project, which is designed to extend a 36-mile line that provides service between downtown Chicago and Geneva eight miles west to Elburn, and includes the construction of two new stations at Elburn and LaFox.