Newsletter | Good Stories

JJ Keigley, Mike Best, and Roger Wilhelmi, W. Chicago, Batavia, and Geneva residents, share their stories and experiences from their combined 135 years of working on the railroad. Be ready for an entertaining and informative session and for Mark Llanuza's photos.

FEATURED VIDEO

Oh, What a Ride on the Rails

At the end of video, JJ Keigley, an immensely popular Metra conductor for 17 years, is shown being honored in a very moving ceremony on ABC 7 , Windy City Live, “Chicagoans you need to Know”. Metra honors JJ by naming the UP West Corridor the “JJ Keigley Corridor” - .

Rail Fans Geneva Chapter &

Friends of the Geneva Metra Station

asks

Metra

to provide a

Station that is a

Welcoming Presence for Metra Passengers

To open station on Saturday Sunday and Holidays

Provide Metra Customer Care staff to

welcome passengers

help with tickets

provide boarding information

A Customer Care staff is at the Metra station from 5am to 9pm on WEEKDAYS)

Provide ‘Volunteer Ambassadors’ to assist Metra Customer Care staff

and to be a presence on weekends

Decorate station’s interior reflecting: Metra is happy you’re here and

Welcome to our beautiful station’

Provide Metra ‘perks’ information panels and information board

Example: “ride Metra free with a ‘Broadway in Chicago’ ticket

Provide Local Railroad History Panels

Provide covered outdoor seating within 10 yards of the station

Provide a ‘Rail Viewing’ area for rail fans and for future rail fans (children).

This is Union Pacific’s main freight artery between Chicago and the West Coast,

thus an excellent place to watch frequent freight and passenger trains

Notes:

Metra responded to our primary wish: On October 8, 2025, Metra announced the station’s new hours:

5am to 9pm weekdays

Metra has shown they do care about providing ‘a positive experience for passengers before train boarding

Geneva Station Wish Lists

Summer 2025

Enhance passenger safety when crossing from

Platform 1 to Platform 2 by requiring

all Chicago bound trains arriving on

Platform 2 to stop approximately 50 feet

before 3rd St. crossing

Currently: When Chicago bound train arrives on track 3,

late arriving passengers must decide: go under the

downed gates or wait until gates go back up.

Some trains stop approximately 50 ft before the

3rd Street crossing, stay stationery for 15 seconds,

which allows the downed gates to go back up and

passengers can cross tracks.

However, some trains stop at the 3rd St Crossing

and the gates remain down. Passengers are unable

to cross unless they go under the downed gates.

Keep Geneva station open on weekdays until

6pm and open on weekends 8am to 9pm

Currently, station closes at 1pm on weekdays and

is closed on weekends

Provide viable shelter and seating

Currently, on platform 1, there is no viable shelter or

seating

only available shelter is 100 yards from station;

on seating (unprotected) is 50 yards from station

Provide Station Signage:

Currently, there is no signage to help passengers,

There are train times (monitor) and wall schedules

Provide Safety Alert when freight trains

pass station on track #1

Currently, freight trains on track 1 pass by within 15 ft

of passengers standing on Platform 1

Note: Union Pacific website says passengers should

be 24 feet from track

Upgrade Station and Station Area:

Enhance passengers pre boarding experience ...

including

improving station aesthetics

Increase station hours

provide passenger shelter and seating

provide boarding info signage

signage to alert passengers to safety issues

Station Area Reimagined

IRON HORSE

TRAIN

TALKS & TOURS

Along the Rails

As of October 8, 2025 Geneva Station New Hours Weekdays 5am to 9pm with Customer Service Staff in the station Closed on weekends

As of October 8, 2025

Geneva Station New Hours

Weekdays 5am to 9pm
with Customer Service Staff
in the station
Closed on weekends