Chicago Union Station (Amtrak and Metra)

Chicago-Union Station, IL (Amtrak's Southwest Chief #3 & #4, California Zephyr #5 & #6, Empire Builder #7/27/807 & #8/28/808, Texas Eagle #21/321/421 & #22/322/422, Capitol Limited #29 & #30, Lake Shore Limited #48 & #49 Cardinal (3 times a week) #50 & #51, Hoosier State (Days Cardinal doesn't operate) #850 & #851, City of New Orleans #58 & #59, Lincoln Service (4 daily trains per day) #301, #303, #305, #307 & #300, #302, #304, #306 Hiawatha Service (7 trains per day, 6 on Sundays) #330, #332, #334, #336, #338, #340, #342 & #329, #331, #333, #335 #337, #339, #341, Wolverine Service (3 daily trains per day) #350, #352, #354, & #351, #353, #355, Blue Water #364 & #365, Pere Marquette #370 & #371, Carl Sandburg #381 & #382, Illinois Zephyr #380 & #383) is Amtrak's major hub in the Midwest. It is the transfer point for passengers going from coast to coast. For Passengers going Westbound, the trains from the Eastern Seaboard (Capitol Limited, Lake Shore Limited, & Cardinal/Hoosier State), New Orleans (City of New Orleans), as well as at least one train from all Midwest destinations (other than stations between Kansas City and St. Lewis, MO) arriving in the morning (between 8:40AM and Noon), to meet the four West Coast-bound Long Distance Trains (the Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, & Texas Eagle) that depart in the early afternoon (at 2:15, 2:00, 3:15, & 1:45 respectively). Going Eastbound the West Coast Long Distance trains (if there on time) arrive in the early to mid afternoon (at 3:55, 3:20, 4:05 & 2:14 respectively), with connections to the Eastern Seaboard and all Midwest destinations departing in the evening (between 5:20 and 8:00PM) with the exception of the Lake Shore Limited that is the clean-up train and leaves at 9:30PM for connections with late arrivals. On most trips a relatively long layover will be had and the fact that it is in the center of a urban metropolis means most travelers can see some sights of Chicago as they change trains going from coast-to-coast.

Union Station is also the Downtown Chicago terminus of Metra's SouthWest Service, Heritage Corridor, BNSF Railway Line, Milwaukee District West Line, Milwaukee District North Line, and North Central Service.

The station opened in 1925 and the portion of the station used by passengers occupies two city blocks. Surrounded by Jackson Blvd, Canal Street, Adams St and Clinton Street is the historic beaux-arts Great Hall. This building contains the grand waiting room for Union Station, with skylights and other sucken features. This central area has wooden benches where Amtrak has it's coach passengers normally line up (except for early morning and late evening trains) for the 'Kindergarden' walk out to the platforms. There are a few shops, along with the new two-story Metropolitan Lounge along the south side of the Great Hall that opened on June 27. 2016. The Legacy Club is in another area of the Great Hall provides paid lounge access to waiting coach and Metra passengers.

To reach trains passengers leave the historic Great Hall and pass through an underground passageway beneath Canal Street (with the Amtrak ticket office and baggage ceck along the south wall) to the more modern and underground concourse area. This area was originally a headhouse in the same style as the historic great hall but was demolished in 1969 to build an office building on top, additional escalator entrances provide more direct access to the station platforms and there is a food court on portions of the second level above.

For platforms, the concourse area has odd numbered tracks and platforms along it's northern side (used by Amtrak's Hiawatha, and Empire Builder, plus Metra's Milwaukee North and West Lines, and the North Central Service) and even numbered tracks and platforms (used by all other trains) along its southern side. Each track has platforms on both sides, a low-level passenger platform on one side (generally an island platform with tactile warning strip) and a baggage/mail/service platform on the opposite side. The non-passenger platforms connect to ramps down to the Amtrak baggage area (Regular passengers are escourted down there if they need to check or pick up a boxed bicycle) beneath the main station. Along the eastern edge of the station, closest to the Chicago river, are two through tracks and a much longer platform, including a high-level mail platform not used by any passenger trains. Metra trains use the western-most tracks and platforms, closest to the Great Hall, Amtrak trains use platforms further away with a fence and sign saying no passengers unless accompanied by an Amtrak employee in the area between the Metra and Amtrak platforms.

The underground concourse area includes the Metra ticket office along the north corridor, across from this is the Amtrak baggage claim, behind this area are Amtrak's original boarding lounges (used exclusively to board Amtrak trains until air conditioning was restored in the Great Hall in 2011). There are two boarding lounges; a smaller one for North Concourse trains, the Hiawatha and Empire Builder, and a much larger one for all other departures. These boarding lounges contain pastic benches, and plenty of space for coach passengers to line up. Beyond the main boarding lounges are pre-boarding areas, before doors lead out to the track areas. Between these lounge area's is Amtrak's original Metropolitan Lounge, opened the last time this area was renovated in 1991.

On September 4, 2016 the CTA opened the new Union Station Transit Center. This modern 3 lane, 6 stop bus loop is located across Jackson Blvd from the Great Hall, and connected directly into the station concourse by an underground passageway (that continues beyond the bus loop to the station's main paid parking garage).

The northern platforms have an additional entrance, two blocks north of the station from Madison Street (branded just for Metra), with staircases down to each northern platform, except for the platforms for Tracks 1,3 and 17.
Photo 1: 24 October, 2004; 2-35: 29 May 2011; 36-37: 14 July, 2009; 38-40: 4 August, 2011; 41-50: 25 October, 2011; 51-57: 30 October, 2011; 58: 2 November, 2011; 59-67: 5 November, 2011; 68 & 69: 22 July, 2012; 29 July, 2012; 70-72: 29 July, 2012; 73-77: 3 July, 2013: 78-87: 4 July, 2013; 88-112: 22 September, 2015; 113-115: 6 June, 2016; 116-132: 30 December, 2016; 133-140: 4 June, 2017; 141-142: 8 November, 2016; 143-146: 4 February, 2017; 147-149: 5 February, 2017; 150: 26 December, 2017; 151-152: 18 February, 2017; 153-154: 13 March, 2018; 155: 15 April, 2018; 156-165:

An Amtrak Superliner is visible in Union Station from a Chicago River cruise. The train station is at ground level with various buildings having been built using the air rights above the tracks.

Passengers exit the terminating Lake Shore Limited #49 on track 22.

P42 #140, is at the back of a local Midwest single level train with An Amfleet for food service and Horizon coaches parked at Union Station.

P42 #150 attached to Metroliner Cab Car #3800.

Genesis P42 #61 the front locomotive that has pulled the majority for the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago from New York (this locomotive was attached in Albany) terminates at Union Station.

All the bumper sidings of the 'south' tracks at Union Station.

A plaque saying Chicago Union Station is on the National Register of Historic Railroad landmarks.

In the grand rotunda of Union Station, text for To All Trains over the passageway to the underground world (in reality at ground level) where passengers actually board the trains.

Clocks can't seem to agree on the right time at an information kiosk in the center of the rotunda area at Union Station.

Looking down the sky lit core of the Union Station with all the old wooden benches present.

Another view of the grand waiting area of Chicago Union Station. It's a station with towering classical columns present

A view of another grand passageway that leads off the main rotunda at Union Station.

An exterior view of the grand building of Union Station.

A main entrance to the newer part of Union Station where the ticket offices and boarding lounges and food court actually are, in the bottom of a modern office building.

Another entrance from street level to the modern portion of Union Station viewed from street level along a promenade along the Chicago River.

A sign on street level for the various entrances to the station also has a list of the retail tenants.

A close up of the unusual signage Union Station uses at the station entrances.

Looking across the Chicago River with the dark fortress where the station platforms are visible between the river and the buildings above.

A sign along a Chicago street for Amtrak and Union Station.

Looking from a bridge across the Chicago River with A Metra train visible on the tracks in Union Station.

Glenview, IL	Hiawatha Service
Glenview, IL	Empire Builder
Naperville, IL	California Zephyr
Naperville, IL	Southwest Chief
La Grange Road, IL	Carl Sandburg / Illinois Zephyr
Summit, IL	Lincoln Service
Joliet, IL	Texas Eagle
Homewood, IL	City of New Orleans
Homewood, IL	Saluki / Illini
	Cardinal & Hoosier State	Dyer, IN
	Capitol Limited	South Bend, IN
	Lake Shore Limited	South Bend, IN
	Wolverine Service	Hammond-Whiting, IN
	Blue Water	New Buffalo, MI
	Pere Marquette	St. Joseph, MI