Metra is proposing a $1.1 billion operating budget for 2025 that will continue to rely on federal COVID-19 relief money as riders — and the revenue they generate — have returned slower than the commuter rail agency expected. But the federal aid is expected to run out in 2026, leaving Metra with budget holes that year and the following year that are expected to run into hundreds of millions of dollars. The good news for riders is Metra is not planning to raise fares in 2025, after revamping the fare structure during last year’s budget process.