Metra ticket designs

As any commuter knows, it's the small things that make commuting bearable—sometimes even enjoyable. Here in Chicago, its the monthly Metra ticket designs that add a little fun to my commute each month. While largely unnoticed by most riders, they they add a pinch of variety to an otherwise monotonous trip.

Since August 2004, I've enjoyed riding the Metra trains in and out of Chicago. While it can get monotonous at times, I often find comfort that type of repetition. (I'm a little odd like that.) However, each month, Metra breaks the monotony by releasing a new design for the monthly tickets—usually depicting a famous feature of Chicago or highligting important advice for traveling by train. Some of my favorites are the hand drawn illustrations about proper train rider etiquette and the winter scenes.

Early on, I decided to collect my monthly tickets as a reminder of my time riding the rails. When I was little, I remember looking forward to seeing the new montly designs when my mother rode the train and I was glad to see that the designs were still changing when I started riding.

I've tried to find images of tickets before I started collecting but unsurprisingly, they're hard to come by. I doubt many people keep their old tickets. Nonetheless, I've decided to post images of my tickets here for anyone else interested in seeing these fun souvenirs from Metra. I'll also keep this list up to date each time I get a new one to keep the collection current and if I can find time, I'll talk a bit about them in new posts.

Enjoy the slideshow below and please contact me if you have old tickets that you'd be willing to part with to add to my collection.

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