Austin station (CTA Green Line)
| Company type | Chicago Transit Authority station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | April 15, 1899 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Rapid transit services |
Austin is a Chicago Transit Authority station positioned on the Green Line between the Ridgeland and Central stops. This line runs from Harlem/Lake to both Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. Situated at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Corcoran Place within Chicago’s West Side Austin neighborhood, the station lies adjacent to the village of Oak Park.
Originally inaugurated on April 15, 1899, as part of an extension of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad, Austin underwent reconstruction in the early 1960s when the western segment of the Lake Street line transitioned from street-level tracks to an abandoned embankment formerly belonging to the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. The facility includes a single island platform accessible by both stairs and escalators from the station building. Service operates daily from early morning until 1:00 a.m. In addition to train operations, Austin offers transfers to CTA and Pace bus services.
History
The initial Austin station commenced service in 1899 as an at-grade extension of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad, stretching westward from its previous terminal at 52nd Avenue through Austin and Oak Park. For a brief period, it functioned as the western terminus before further expansion extended the line beyond that point later in the same year.
In 1962, a major redevelopment project elevated the westernmost two and a half miles of the Lake Street line onto an abandoned embankment once used by the adjacent Chicago and Northwestern Railway. This upgrade included adding a secondary entrance at Mason Avenue, located one block east of the primary entrance. Due to budget reductions on February 18, 1973, the Mason Avenue access was downgraded to an exit-only facility and eventually closed entirely in 1994. As of December 2024, efforts are underway to reopen this Mason Avenue entrance.
Facilities
Austin station consists of a single island platform positioned on a grade-separated embankment situated south of the right of way utilized by Metra's Union Pacific West Line, just east of Austin Boulevard. The platform serves two tracks on the Green Line: trains heading toward Harlem/Lake use the northern track, while those bound for Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove utilize the southern track. At street level adjacent to the embankment, fare control gates and a customer assistance booth are located. Access to the platform is provided via stairs and escalators; however, due to the absence of elevators or ramps, this station currently lacks full ADA compliance. Plans are in place to implement accessibility features by 2027.
Service
Austin is integrated into the Chicago Transit Authority’s Green Line network, linking Harlem/Lake through downtown Chicago and continuing southward to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove on the South Side. It ranks as the fourth inbound stop departing from Harlem/Lake, positioned between Ridgeland and Central stations. Green Line trains serve Austin approximately from 3:50 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. on weekdays, with weekend service running from about 4:55 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Travel times include roughly four minutes to Harlem/Lake, seventeen minutes to Clark/Lake in Chicago’s Loop district, fifty-one minutes to Ashland/63rd, and forty-five minutes to Cottage Grove. In 2011, Austin recorded passenger boardings totaling 629,581.
Bus connections
- 91 Austin
- 309 Lake Street
- 313 St. Charles Road
- 315 Austin Boulevard
Several bus lines provide service to this station. The CTA's 91 Austin route covers Austin Avenue, the Austin Blue Line stop, Lawrence Avenue, and the Jefferson Park Transit Center, with additional trips to Taft High School on school days. Pace offers three routes—309 Lake Street, 313 St. Charles Road, and 315 Austin Boulevard—that connect the station to important locations such as West Suburban Hospital, Westlake Community Hospital, Metra stations in Elmhurst and Melrose Park, Yorktown Center, East Gate Shopping Center, and numerous suburbs including Oak Park, River Forest, Maywood, Melrose Park, Northlake, Stone Park, Elmhurst, Bellwood, Berkeley, Villa Park, and Lombard.