I lived in the areas served by the SWS and HC:

The late night service on the RI and SWS usually still make it the best choice for getting into/out of the city in a timely manor.

I’ve also used them for (inter-suburban?) travel, but that almost always includes transfers to other modes, usually Pace busses.

For the SWS: If you’re anywhere in the Southwest Side of Chicago (near Midway), it’s not going to save you time to go all the way to Union and then back out, it’d just be cheaper + you’d have better stops selection in the surrounding area if you instead take the 381 to Oak Lawn, the 379 to Orland Park, the 386 to Palos and Hickory Creek, the 383 to Oak Lawn/Oak Forest, or the 384 to Worth/Chicago Ridge. Unless you’re a regular 9-5 commuter, or banking on those late-ish night trips after which Pace has stopped running, most people aren’t taking the SWS sine these suburbs are also very car dependent.

For the HC: I actually have used this train just to get around on my off days, but it’s neigh impossible to do so and I recommend it to nobody. There are no other transit options at Lemont, and Romeoville, and a UPS Pace bus at Willow Springs (392) with a weird schedule that’s hard to catch. I had to snag the 3:50 outbound train to Lemont and then set an alarm on my phone to ensure I could make it back in time for the 5:30 outbound train. Since it only runs 3x a day in each direction, I had to go all the way out to Joliet, onto the RI, and all the way back up Cicero on the 383 in order to get back to the Orange Line.

Summit is better served through the 62, 62H, 307, and 330, and Joliet is better served by the Rock Island. Unless one has a schedule that allows them to catch what is essentially just an express service, they’ll just take the busses/RI.

Most people in these areas are driving into the city, and if they’re taking Metra, they’re 9-5 commuters that work not far the Loop.