Metra Palatine Station

Jasmine outstanding customer service at palatine train station. Always super friendly & extremely helpful. Especially to those of us who are not the greatest at directions like myself. Some say «that we are different; my momma just says I’m special» ;) — thanks jasmine & keep up the great work

The station itself is clean, has starbucks and friendly service. But parking here is a pain in terms of daily commuter parking. There are only a few small lots and no space was available when I got here at 7:30 am on a weekday. I added a tip about the parking garage behind Durty Nellies (apparently you park on the upper levels/​deck), but there are no clear signs from the station indicating where this garage is or how to get there! Also, they need to upgrade their payment from coin box to credit cards — it is 2015 after all!!! I saw a guy missing his train struggling to get the coin box to accept his coins for his spot. :(

There is a starbucks in this metra with free wifi, what what! Bathrooms, waterfountain a lot of seatings even tables so if you want to get on the computer here you could. Also this line has express on the weekdays during peak hours. I only wish i live closer to the station because the peak hour express is a huge plus! Oh soothing music from the starbucks and the smell of the coffee, everything is fairly clean even with ample seating outside!

I rode the Metra train from the Palatine station for the first time. Overall it was a pretty good experience. I had taken the train only a few time so I am still pretty much a newbie when it comes to riding the trains.
I parked in the parking garage behind Durty Nellies. It was a little confusing at first because It was not clear where the train parking was located. After driving out and back in the 2^nd time, I found the train parking where you pay per day is on the upper levels. Make sure you remember which number spot you park in because you have to put $ 2 in cash or quarters in a box as you exit the parking garage to the tracks.
I went on a Monday morning and I was surprised how busy it was. I had not idea that many people took the train. I purchased the tickets at the station. Make sure to get there early so you can find parking and get your tickets without being rushed.
They announce the trains before they arrive so you can go out and get ready for when they pull up. The first day it was not hard to find a place to sit, but after a few more stops, it definitely filled up. The next day I took it at a different time and it was much more busy so it may depend on which train you catch. Some of them make more stops than others.
The ride itself was smooth, also very quiet. It was also warm which was nice in the middle of winter. The train could have been cleaner. There were a lot of salt marks not only on the floor, but also on seats and railings. Not sure how often they clean it, but this would be one of the things that could be improved.
They come by to punch the tickets as you are in route to your destination. It seems like a difficult system to keep track of with so many passengers getting on and off at different times as well as having 2 levels and many cars to keep track of. I guess it is the best way to do it without having someone checking every ticket when you get on the train and I suppose that would not work because it would take too long at each stop.
I would have liked to see more maps and schedules available at the station. There were some on the wall, but some pamphlets would be nice. Maybe they are available but I did not see them.
Overall I would take the Metra train again. It is easy, affordable and sure beats trying to drive down town!

As far as suburban Metra stations go, this one might be the nicest.
sure, it’s still just a public transit station, but the bathrooms are plentiful and cleaner than at least 50% of the restaurants I’ve ever eaten in.
It’s heated in winter, air conditioned in summer, open late so you won’t be stuck standing out in the cold and rain after 5pm like a lot of other stations.
There’s a ticket counter that moves kind of slow, but that’s half the fault of riders who don’t know A. where they’re going and B. what they want.
You’ll find a Starbucks (that serves Oprah chai tea!) at one end that has decent hours for a Metra station. Some of the other stations I’ve traveled in only have little coffee counters till 9:30am… but I really need coffee at all hours, and I prefer it to be a bit fresher than the old pump-​style coffee from hours ago. There’s also an outdoor patio with a fountain, plenty of seating track-​side and parking isn’t the greatest but if you don’t mind walking a block, the parking garage behind Durty Nellie’s is usually pretty open on the upper levels.
It’s nice that there’s stuff nearby if your train is late or you’re early. About a block walk away there’s a bar that opens at 6am, if that’s your sort of thing.
Most trains in and out of here take about an hour to/​from the city, so it’s kind of a haul, but I think Palatine is a good station to ride from if you want to guarantee yourself a seat and not standing-​room-​only when it gets busy during the next few stops.
Of all the things I like about this station, I think the voice recording that comes on to warn you as the train approaches is my absolute favorite thing because the voice sounds the same as the voice that warns you about safety before you get on Space Mountain or watch Captain E.O. at Disney World. Pretty rad.

For heaven’s sake. It’s a train station — you go there to wait for a train. They built this new station a number of years ago now replacing one that was, well, not so nice. The architecture is nice. It’s clean. There is a great Starbucks in the lobby where they are well trained and move quickly. If you are waiting for a train, being able to get through the line without missing your train is important, don’t you think?
There is a ticket counter — if you don’t buy your ticket at the station, they charge you a $ 3 fee on the train in addition to your fare. But, there is only one person at the counter, and sometimes they don’t move quickly.
Parking there is $ 2, but spaces are pretty limited for the amount of commuters they have. There have been quite a few times I’ve gotten there later in the morning, only to find no spots available. And, if you can’t find a spot and don’t have a ride, cabs in the suburbs are more expensive than the train into Chicago.

This is probably the nicest train station I have ever been to in the suburbs. Clean, cozy, and they have a starbucks. For a train station, What more can you ask for?

Great place to stop and have some coffee, or aboard the train… Clean and cozy!

Nice train station. It’s conveniently located in the heart of downtown Palatine. They have a Starbucks, ample seating (for when I was there on a Saturday), and it was warm, which is nice in February.
Like a PP said, the audio system could be a little louder. It’s hard to hear the announcements.
parking is free in their parking garage on the weekends. During the week, however, it gets pretty pricey. The monthly pass also recently took QUITE a hike in price recently. It’s actually worth it to pay day by day most months. You’re not saving yourself much more money.

The nearest Metra from me does not have a stop close to Jason’s apartment. I got a ride across town to Palatine on Sunday, Feb 19. From there, I took it to the Jefferson Park station where there is illegal but available parking for his car.
Don’t leave your car unattended. Any other stop in his area, he’d have a hard time waiting for my train to arrive. As far as I can tell, there’s no place to park and ride at the Palatine station.
I arrived 20 minutes late and missed the train. It was another hour and a half wait for the next one.
The upside of waiting here and not at another station is that Palatine has an indoor ADA compliant waiting room with benches, bathrooms, water fountains, pay phone, BMO ATM, Starbucks and an Agent office (that is closed every time I’m here).
Voices carry. The ladies’ group meeting for coffee, tea and gossip on the opposite end of the building were noisy and so was the frequent announcement overhead about a train delay.
Durty Nellies, Sushi and Subway are across the street. On our way over from Schaumburg, I noticed this is the only coffee shop en route. If anyone is looking to open a franchise, there’s a hot spot of opportunity…

Is it lame to say «Yay Metra»? Well I just did.
This station is pretty cool and chill. Sometimes the people making your coffee move slow (I have seen turtles move faster) but overall it is a good station.
If you are hungry after a long trip from the city, there are numerous venues that can help take care of your hunger.

What can you say? Solid train station. Starbucks inside. Trains are generally on time. Not like that would be this stations fault if they weren’t. It could have more parking besides Emmitts and employee parking. I use a handicap tag which is great, but if you’re not then you’re parking somewhere else most likely. There is a garage, but you need a pass to park there which requires you being put on a waiting list. Enjoy your ride.

Note: I’m not sure why Unilocal says this station is closed. This station is OPEN sesame!!!
What can you say about a train station? I mean its not like people hang out here on purpose. They come here so they can sip on their coffee, read their Kindle, or listen to their ipods while waiting on the Metra.
I was here for about 15 minutes waiting for the UP/​NW Metra to take me to downtown Chicago. This station left a good impression on me. The station is very clean with plenty of benches and seats inside/​outside to sit on.
There is also an ATM and a Starbucks inside the station. Very quaint and comfortable Metra Station with a couple of Taverns and Restaurants nearby.