Crystal Lake is the namesake Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line station in the City of Crystal Lake (it was joined by Pingree Road 1.5 miles south on September 7, 2005). The station is the terminus of many Union Pacific Northwest Line trains with only limited service (on both weekends and weekdays) continuing the 20 additional miles to northwest to Harvard. A small train storage yard is just northwest of the main station (across Grant Street), where a number of trainsets spend their weekends, and is clearly visible from the station's main parking lots (with approximately 500 spaces) on each side of the siding tracks, The grade-crossing of Walkup Avenue.
The stop consists of two side platforms for the two track line that run between the grade-crossings of Grant Street and Main Street. Short platform extensions (for less than a car) are across Grant Street nearly in the train storage yard. The main station house, a historic single story brick structure is located behind the outbound platform (it seems that perhaps there was once a third track in the station area) and contains a ticket office in the middle (open for one weekday mornings AM shift), a waiting area with wooden benches on one side, and the Trax Depot Cafe (with cafe tables) on the opposite side of the ticket office. A plaque dedicates the depot to January 2006.
The Inbound platform contains 4 modern brick canopy structures (one is across Grant Street), each of these contain a bench nearly fully enclosed by windscreens and gabled roofs. The Inbound platform is directly along Railroad Street, the outbound platform has some parking directly beyond the depot, but it only has ADA parking spaces, and parking for downtown businesses.
All Photos taken on 30 October, 2011
Woodstock 