Ashland - CTA Green Line

Ashland(/63rd), is part of the Englewood Transit Terminal (as a unique sign on the southside of the station building says), is on the newest trackage on the green line which extended service a quarter-mile from the previous terminus at Loomis Blvd which was immediately closed. The station reflects this time period being located on a guide way held by concrete suppers with fences instead of the older steel and iron that needs to be painted. There is even a small wall on the edge of the tracks of the island platform. The station has relay switches both before the station (where the Ashland Yard is) and on tail tracks that extended beyond the station to Hermitage Avenue on the line's 'L' not above a street slightly south of 63rd Street. The platforms have older (but appear to be LED powered) signs that say either Do Not Board or Next Train with an arrow so passengers know which is the next train, the tail tracks beyond the station only used sometimes.

The island platform is canopied with a roof slightly angled outwards from central supports except at its extreme western (no passenger service) end. At the Loop bound end of the platform is a building high above the tracks (and canopy), with tons of windows surrounding a room that looks like a modern extra-large interpretation of a railroad tower. The station house is equally 1960s modern, two staircases/escalators and an elevator lead down to the turnstiles. Most of it is located beneath the railway viaduct but a portion of it extends southward from the viaduct. Here is a roof with odd angles around a small skylight. This leads out to two different sets of doors to the western end of station's bus loop along the east side of Ashland Avenue. There is also a couple of high exit only turnstiles out to the northern side of the station house out to Ashland Avenue. The bus loop has two separate lanes, both which run from Ashland all the way across the block to Justice Street. The sidewalks of the two separate bus stop lanes have uniquely low with support beams holding up odd angles gabled roof canopies. A taller gabled roof covers the bus lane closest to the 'L' station that all cars must drive under. To round everything off there is a 235 space parking lot just south of the bus loop that stretches to the southern side of the block, 64th Street. The platform has a second exit only staircase towards the western end of the platform. This leads down to a few high turnstiles on the west side of Ashland Avenue.

Temporary Red Line Terminus: From May 19, 2013 until October 2013 the station became the temporary southern terminus of the Red Line diverted from the Dan Ryan Line for it to undergo a complete reconstruction. All Green Line trains were rerouted to Cottage Grove, passengers here benefitted from more frequent (the Red Line is the busiest on the CTA) Owl Service that the normal split Green Line service.
Photos 1-12 August, 2011; 13-30: on 4 July, 2013

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