Western Station (CTA Blue Line Congress Branch)
History
Elevated station
The original Western station opened in 1895 along with numerous stations on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated lines. When skip-stop service was implemented on the Garfield Park branch in 1951, Western station was designated an A station (only A trains would stop at this station). In 1953, the elevated station was closed in favor of temporary tracks running along Van Buren Street. The temporary tracks were built to accommodate the construction of the Congress Expressway and an expressway-median branch.
Expressway-median station
The expressway-median station opened on June 22, 1958. During the time when the CTA utilized skip-stop services, the station was designated as an A station, much like its elevated predecessor. This time, however, all stations on the Congress branch west of Racine station were A stations; B trains would run along the Douglas branch (part of today's Pink Line).
Bus connections
- 7 Harrison (Weekdays only)
- 49 Western (Owl Service)
- X49 Western Express (Weekday Rush Hours only)
References
- ^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "CTA revises Garfield, Douglas, institutes A-B service". Chicago Tribune. 1 December 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Chicago L.org: Stations - Western". www.chicago-l.org. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Chicago Transit Authority System Map (Map). Chicago Transit Authority. March 1991. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Chicago L.org: Stations - Western". www.chicago-l.org. Retrieved 28 November 2023.