DeKALB | As the weekend approaches and many students head home, they may not know there’s a cheaper and faster route available.

Some of NIU’s public transit commuters use the Greyhound bus service that has a stop at Lukulo’s restaurant, 1101 W. Lincoln Highway. At $18 for a one-way ticket and $29 round-trip, a Greyhound trip to Chicago is more expensive than the Elburn shuttle, which is $10 one-way.

The Huskie Bus Line offers another option for students: a shuttle to the Elburn Metra train station. Commuters can take a 40-minute bus ride to the Elburn Metra station, where they board the eastbound to Chicago. The shuttle bus leaves from the Holmes Student Center throughout the afternoon on Fridays and Sundays. The $4 tickets must be purchased in advance at the HSC.

The Elburn Metra also makes stops in Elmhurst, Wheaton and Oak Park.

The Metra train’s ticket price can range from $3 to $6. The price depends on how far the commuter is going. At most, the price is $10 one-way for the train ticket and the Elburn shuttle bus.

“[The Elburn train shuttle] is very reliable and it gets you [to the train] about 10 minutes before it comes,” said Jamie Morgan, a sophomore criminology major.

Because of the large number of students who use the Greyhound, some students find the bus overcrowded.

“The Metra is much more comfortable,” said freshman business major Steven Yolich.

Some students remain loyal Greyhound riders for commuting.

“I think the Greyhound is better, because you don’t have to take a bus and a train; only one bus,” Yolich said.

The schedule for the shuttle bus is posted next to the ticket booth in the Holmes Student Center.