Tickets to go on sale for December Metra holiday trains

Tickets go on sale Wednesday for this year’s Metra holiday trains, where Metra riders can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as other holiday characters.

Holiday trains will run on the Metra Electric, BNSF and Milwaukee District West lines on Saturday, Dec. 2, and on the Rock Island and Union Pacific Northwest lines on Saturday, Dec. 9. The Metra Electric line will also be designated a holiday train on Saturday, Dec. 16, to cap off the holiday season.

On the Metra Electric Line, the experience will cap off with a “North Pole winter wonderland” at Millennium Station, including treats, holiday music, face painting and other activities.

Participants can ride the holiday trains back to their starting point or stay downtown and use their holiday train ticket to return on any scheduled train that day, Metra said in a news release.

Tickets can be bought online for $5 and are expected to sell out, Metra said in the release.

“We encourage everyone to climb on board and make Metra part of their holiday tradition,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said.

The transportation agency will also donate holiday train tickets to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago.