Metra Commuter Rail Telecom Engineering

Level-1 designed a secure, scalable telecom network for Metra, enabling real-time communication and enhanced safety across its rail system.

With 11 rail lines, 242 stations, and more than 1,200 miles of track stretching from Chicago’s urban core to the farthest edges of its collar counties, Metra is more than a transit provider, it is a lifeline connecting the economic, educational, and cultural fabric of northeastern Illinois. As ridership demand grows and transit operations become increasingly data-driven, the need for a secure, scalable communications network has never been greater. 

To meet that challenge, Level‑1 Global Solutions was engaged to engineer a modernized telecom infrastructure that would allow Metra to support real-time communication, system-wide monitoring, and future upgrades with confidence. The engagement required not only technical fluency in large-scale communications design but also deep coordination with Metra’s in-house teams, regional planners, and transportation safety stakeholders. 

What We Delivered 

• Engineering design for distributed telecom infrastructure across Metra’s regional network, including the design of communication shelters, network cabinets, and data centers purpose-built for railway operations. 
• Development of schematic designs and construction documents to guide implementation at key Metra facilities and remote sites, incorporating best practices in transit-focused telecom engineering. 
• Design of full communications cabling systems, including pathways, conduit, hardware specifications, and termination standards to ensure data reliability in dynamic transit environments. 
• Power protection and life safety system design, including UPS infrastructure, fault tolerance, and backup generation capacity to maintain network continuity during outages or emergencies. 
• Security and credentialing system design, including video surveillance, access control, and identity verification systems for key control rooms and telecom spaces. 
• Coordination of civil, electrical, and telecom system interfaces, ensuring that duct banks, grounding, and structural integration requirements were fully addressed in the design scope. 
• Project programming, site selection support, and stakeholder coordination, contributing to seamless planning and implementation across a multijurisdictional agency environment. 

Level‑1’s design work provided Metra with a modern telecommunications framework that supports critical real-time communications, enhanced safety protocols, and scalable network operations. This forward-looking infrastructure is essential for maintaining service quality, ensuring passenger safety, and meeting future demands across one of the nation’s busiest commuter rail systems.