The Metra Electric cars built by St. Louis Car and Bombardier during the 1970's, spent most of their lives in the RTA 1970's paint scheme, which was not too different from the original Illinois Central scheme.
Two Metra Electric cars in the RTA 1970's paint scheme are exhibited near the Amtrak station in Mendota IL, in 2011.
Most of the Metra Electric cars from the 1970's were rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen or Amerail, and received Metra's new paint scheme.
In 2006, Metra began replacing the cars from the 1970's with 26 new stainless steel cars from Nippon-Sharyo of Japan, assembled by Super Steel of Milwaukee. These cars look similar to diesel powered push pull cars delivered around the same time, but with pantographs at the end away from the cab, and doors set up for high level platforms.