Union Pacific West Line
The line runs from the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago through the western suburbs to Elburn. This is the oldest railway route built from Chicago, the route of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad along Kinzie Street.
As of February 16, 2024, Metra operates 58 trains (29 in each direction) on the Union Pacific West Line on weekdays. Of these, 23 inbound trains originate from Elburn, two from La Fox, three from Geneva, and one from West Chicago. Two outbound trains terminate at Geneva, three at La Fox, and the remaining 24 terminate at Elburn.
On weekends, all trains run the full route to Elburn, with Metra operating 10 roundtrip trains on Saturday and nine on Sundays and holidays.
Union Pacific is building a third track from West Chicago through all of Geneva. The project started in September 2022 and is expected to be finished in July 2024. The improvements are designed to ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce conflicts between commuter and freight trains.
By the first quarter of 2024, the Union Pacific Railroad is expected to transfer operations of the three Union Pacific lines to Metra. The Union Pacific will continue to own and maintain the right-of-way.
Ridership
Since 2014 annual ridership has declined from 8,423,188 to 7,883,185, an overall decline of 6.4%. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership dropped to 1,945,886 passengers in 2020 and to 1,486,536 passengers in 2021.
Station stops
County | Zone | Location | Station | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kane | 4 | Elburn | Elburn | Huskie Line: 12 |
La Fox | La Fox | |||
St. Charles | St. Charles | St. Charles branch | ||
4 | Geneva | Geneva | Pace: 801, 802 | |
DuPage | West Chicago | West Chicago | ||
Winfield | Winfield | |||
Wheaton | Wheaton | Pace: 301, 711, 714 | ||
College Avenue | Pace: 714 | |||
Glen Ellyn | Glen Ellyn | Pace: 715 | ||
3 | Lombard | Lombard | ||
Villa Park | Villa Park | |||
Elmhurst | Elmhurst | Pace: 309, 332 | ||
Cook | 2 | Berkeley | Berkeley | Formerly named Proviso |
Bellwood | Bellwood | Pace: 313, 330 | ||
Melrose Park | Melrose Park | Pace: 303, 309, 313 | ||
Maywood | Maywood | Pace: 309, 313, 331 | ||
River Forest | River Forest | Pace: 309, 313 | ||
Lathrop | Closed December 1, 1958 | |||
Oak Park | Oak Park | Chicago "L": Green (at Harlem/Lake) CTA Bus: 90 Pace: 307, 309, 313, 318, 770 | ||
Avenue | Closed December 1, 1958 | |||
Ridgeland | Closed December 1, 1958 | |||
Austin Boulevard | Closed December 1, 1958 | |||
Chicago | Austin | Closed December 1, 1958 | ||
Keeler | Employee only stop, serves adjacent maintenance facility | |||
2 | Kedzie | Chicago "L": Green (at Kedzie) CTA Bus: 52 | ||
1 | Ogilvie Transportation Center |
Metra: ■ Union Pacific Northwest, ■ Union Pacific North Chicago "L": Green Pink (at Clinton) CTA Bus: J14, 19, 56, 60, 120, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 157, 192 |
Freeport Branch
This branch line ran from West Chicago to Freeport, Illinois. Service was discontinued in the late 1940s. Metra is planning to revive service from Big Timber Road to Rockford on this line, stopping in Huntley and Belvidere, but there are no plans to restore passenger service south of Elgin.
County | Location | Station | Connections |
---|---|---|---|
Stephenson | Freeport | Freeport | Illinois Central trains |
Ridott | Ridott | ||
Winnebago | Pecatonica | Pecatonica | |
Winnebago | Winnebago | ||
Rockford | Rockford | KD Line | |
East Rockford | |||
Cherry Valley | Cherry Valley | ||
Boone | Belvidere | Belvidere | Trains to Spring Valley and Janesville |
Garden Prairie | Garden Prairie | ||
McHenry | Marengo | Marengo | |
Union | Union | Illinois Railway Museum | |
Huntley | Huntley | ||
Kane | Gilberts | Gilberts | |
Elgin | Elgin (West Side) | Trains to Crystal Lake, Milwaukee Road trains | |
South Elgin | South Elgin | ||
DuPage | Wayne | Wayne |
References
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Metra Railfan Tips - Union Pacific/West
- ^ State of the System - Union Pacific West
- ^ "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-02.
- ^ "Union Pacific Third Main Line Project | Geneva, IL - Official Website".
- ^ "Union Pacific Transferring Commuter Rail Services to Metra". Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2018" (PDF). Metra. p. 4. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2019" (PDF). Metra. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2020" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-04-04.
- ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2021" (PDF).
- ^ RTAMS. "Metra Ridership by Line".
External links
- Metra Union Pacific/West service schedule
Media related to Metra Union Pacific/West Line at Wikimedia Commons