Train discounts derail for college students

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Jessica Pacetti
Staff Writer

Trains are one of the best ways to travel to, from, and around downtown Chicago. Sure there are taxis to take and walking is nice, but trains are just as reliable and are just as quick.

There are two types of train services provided for people to travel in: Metra and CTA. Metra is the trains that pull in and out of Union Station and can be picked up right at the train station about a block off of campus. CTA trains are the trains that travel around the Loop and through the suburbs.

Metra and CTA both travel to and from the city, but each offers their own form of discount for students.

Metra offers student discount train tickets, but only to a select few types of students. According the Metra’s official website (metrarail.com) they state student fares as follows: “Full-time students enrolled in an accredited grade school or high school can purchase a reduced one-way, 10-ride or monthly pass. College students are not eligible for reduced fares.” So surprise college students. If you are a college student who takes the train quite often or want to travel into the city, there are no discount rates for you. Metra only offers student cards to students in high school and younger.

CTA, on the other hand, actually offers a reduced fee card for college students called the U-Pass. This card offers a reduced fee for college students in participating colleges and universities. So the CTA offers it to certain students attending certain schools. For students with the U-Pass, it provides them with unlimited rides on the CTA during the school year as a full-time student. The pass is good for up to five years. When school is out of session, the U-Pass acts as a normal Ventra Card. Ventra Cards are the payment cards that you swipe to use the CTA methods of transportation around the city. So the CTA does offer discounts to students, but only to a select few college students at a select few colleges and universities.

It’s is ironic how the trains traveling to and from Chicago do not offer any discount rate for college students while several museums and attractions offer college students a discounted rate. For example, the Planetarium has a $10 entry fee for students, whether in college or not. The Art Institute of Chicago even has their own student discount on museum tickets. Why, they even have a free night for the public to attend. Some of the other exhibits around Chicago such as the Culture Center are also free for the public.

So why does it cost college students extra to travel to Chicago? Some college students are paying their own way through school or would rather save their money up then spend it on Metra ticket. Metra should offer student fares to all students, whether in college or not because a student is a student as long as they are in a school whether it’s a high school or a college. CTA should open the U-Pass to all students, not just a select few. If the attractions of Chicago offer students rates, then the transportation should too.