51st-53rd Street (Hyde Park) is a Metra Electric Station that as of the September 2017 schedule changes receives service every 20 minutes during weekdays or better, and at least two trains per hour on Saturdays (with gaps of up to 90 minutes on the limited service every two hours to South Chicago and University Park on the same hour schedule). The station served the South Shore Line until 1966 when the South Shore Line stop for Hyde Park was moved to 57th Street where trains still stop to this day. There also used to be a third low-level island platform between the non-electrified tracks for intercity trains to stop and serve Hyde Park. The platform has been removed although there is a gap between the tracks still used by freight and Amtrak's City of New Orleans, Illini, and Saluki.
The current station consists of two high-level platforms for the four track electrified line. These concrete platforms have two sections of modern green framework with wooden undersides canopies with just a space for just about a car length on each platform left uncovered towards the platforms southern ends. Each section of canopy has a small on platform shelter waiting areas with a door, meaning there are two waiting areas on each platform.
The platforms have two entrances one at each end. The northern entrance is to 51 Street. This entrance has a small entrance area (with glass doors) from the south side of the 51 Street (also called Hyde Park Blvd) underpass, just east of Lake Avenue. From here a staircase and elevator lead directly up to the northern end of the platform. The entrance/exit at the southern end is accessed via stairs only. There is a similar (but larger) entrance area beneath the tracks that lead to a staircase up to each platform. These lead to exposed to the elements fenced off walkways at track-level between the tracks for about 200 feet before stairs lead up to the southern ends of both platforms. At both entrances the formerly dark sidewalks to the station beneath the tracks have received improvements including brickwork and improved lighting.
Photos 1-24: 30 July, 2012; 25-27: 5 May, 2018
47th Street/Kenwood 