Located in the heart of the Windy City, the Chicago Union Station serves as a majestic landmark and is also the crown jewel of Chicago’s rail network. Originally established in 1925, the station was designed by a handful of renowned architectural firms at the time, and the primary aim was to reflect the city’s status as a national railroad hub. As a result, Union Station was a statement with its beautiful glass ceilings and intricate limestone facade.
Today, the Chicago Union Station continues to remain a vital part of Chicago’s transportation system. The national passenger railroad service known as ‘Amtrak’ calls Union Station its ‘Midwest flagship’, providing access to eight long-distance routes, including the California Zephyr and the Empire Builder, and seven regional lines that connect to nearby cities like Milwaukee and St. Louis. On the other hand, the commuter rail network for the Chicago metropolitan area, known as ‘Metra’, also utilizes Union Station, with six of its lines terminating there. These lines serve the nearby suburbs, such as the Milwaukee District North Line serving suburbs north of the city and the North Central Service reaching points like Antioch, Illinois.
Having said that, losing any item or your precious belongings at Union Station can be daunting, let alone losing something while aboard a train. And if you are looking to get it back, then our in-depth guide should be able to do the trick.
3 Ways to Report Lost and Found
Starting things off, keep in mind that reporting a lost item at the Chicago Union Station depends on which train service you were using. There are primarily two train service providers that operate in the area, namely Amtrak and Metra.
If you have lost something on an Amtrak train or within Amtrak-designated areas at Union Station, then you need to report it to Amtrak only. The same applies to passengers losing their items on Metra trains or in Metra-designated areas within the station.
Additionally, there are multiple ways through which you can report your lost belonging, the steps for which can be found as follows.
Reporting by Physically Visiting the Location
If you are planning to report your lost item in person, then you can do so by following the steps suggested below.
- Begin your journey by first heading over to the official address of the railroad service that you had traveled on: Amtrak at 1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001; or Metra at ‘Metra Ticketing Window Number 10’ at the Chicago Union Station in 225 South Canal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606.
- Once you reach your desired office address, talk to the customer support representative to register a ‘lost and found’ request.
- Start by first stating your personal details, such as your name, contact details, and residential address. After that, state your travel information, such as your date and time of travel, your arrival and departure stations, your train number, etc.
- After that, provide detailed information regarding your lost item, such as its make and model, brand name, color and size, and any other distinct feature.
Once you complete the request registration process, you will be asked to wait for the investigation process to be completed, after which you will be contacted for any updates.
Reporting via Phone
To report any lost item of yours over the phone, simply follow the recommended steps below for a seamless experience.
- First, you need to get in touch with the customer support team of either Amtrak or Metra through the following phone numbers: 1-(800) 872-7245 or 1-800-USA-RAIL for Amtrak, and (312) 322-4269 for Metra (the Metra phone line is only available between 10AM and 2PM, seven days a week).
- Navigate through the on-call menus and proceed to select the option to register a ‘lost and found’ request by speaking to a customer care executive.
- Once an agent connects to your call, provide your name and contact details, and then provide details regarding your travel, including your date and time of travel, travel route, train number, and other necessary details that can help in tracking down your lost item.
- Lastly, describe your lost belonging(s), such as their type or category, shape and color, product brand name, identifying distinct characteristics, etc.
Once the customer support agent collects all the required information and registers your request, you will then need to wait for an official response from the relevant authorities.
Reporting via Email
If you want to report your lost property online without visiting anywhere or calling anyone, then be sure to carry out the below-mentioned steps judiciously.
- Kickstart the process by heading over to the official websites of either Amtrak or Metra. Alternatively, you can contact Amtrak via the following email address: chicagolostandfound@amtrak.com.
- On the landing page, you will be first asked to submit your personal details, such as your full name, email address, phone number, and residential address.
- After that, select your reason for contact (lost and found) and then provide your travel information, such as your train number, date and time of travel or item lost, travel route, etc.
- Once done, provide a detailed description of your lost item, including its type of category, make and model, color and shape, and other identifying features.
After successfully submitting your request, wait for a follow-up response from the relevant authorities in due time.
