Metra Holiday Trains
Decorated Metra trains roll in from the suburbs on six lines in December, with Santa waiting at Millennium Station on Metra Electric days. $10 tickets go fast.
- Dates: Dec. 5, 12, 13 & 19, 2026
- Where: Six Metra lines, suburbs to downtown
- Neighborhood: Citywide & suburbs
- Cost: Ticketed
Schedule
- Sat., Dec. 5 — BNSF, Milwaukee District North, Rock Island: Decorated round trips from the suburbs.
- Sat., Dec. 12 — UP Northwest and Metra Electric: Metra Electric trains end at the Millennium Station winter wonderland.
- Sun., Dec. 13 — Metra Electric: Holiday characters on board, Santa at Millennium Station.
- Sat., Dec. 19 — UP North and Metra Electric: Last day of the season.
What to expect
Metra decorates trains on six lines for four days in December. On Dec. 5 they run round trips on the BNSF, Milwaukee District North and Rock Island lines, then on UP Northwest on Dec. 12 and UP North on Dec. 19. On Metra Electric (Dec. 12, 13 and 19), trains with holiday characters aboard carry riders to a winter wonderland at Millennium Station with games, treats and Santa. The decorated cars also show up in regular service through December.
Tickets
$10 each, sold in advance only through Metra's online shop. Sales open at noon on Nov. 16, with a limit of five per order. Checkout runs through PayPal, but you can pay by card without a PayPal account. All sales are final, and Metra expects them to sell out fast.
Transit
It is the transit. Each line has its own holiday timetable on Metra's site, and the holiday train doesn't stop at every station, so check yours before you go.
Family-friendly
Made for kids, especially the Metra Electric days with Santa at Millennium Station.
Local tips
- Be online right at noon on Nov. 16. In 2025, every Metra holiday train sold out the day tickets went on sale.
- Tickets can't be refunded or switched to another date, so pick your line and day before you buy.
- Metra Electric is the line with the Santa party; the other lines are decorated round trips.