Brighton Park station
| Company type | Railroad interchange |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois , United States |
Area served | Chicago metropolitan area |
| Products | Rail freight interchange services |
The Brighton Park crossing situated in Chicago, Illinois, serves as a vital railroad interchange accommodating three prominent freight carriers: CSX, Canadian National (CN), and Norfolk Southern. Positioned northwest of the intersection of Western Avenue and Archer Avenue within the Brighton Park district, this junction consists of CN's dual-track Joliet Subdivision running east-west, intersecting with five north-south tracks operated by NS and CSX. Collectively, these railroads manage approximately 80 trains daily at this essential nexus. The crossing can be observed from the elevated CTA Orange Line, which passes just southeast of the location.
Historically, CN’s route was once the primary corridor for the Gulf Mobile & Ohio and its predecessor, the Alton Railroad, hosting the GM&O’s Brighton Park passenger stop. Presently, it supports Metra Heritage Corridor commuter services to Joliet along with Amtrak trains bound for St. Louis. Although Metra operated a station near this crossing named Brighton Park, it ceased operations in 1984.
Until July 6, 2007, train operations were controlled manually by a switchtender employing semaphore signals at this non-interlocked crossing, necessitating all trains to halt prior to proceeding. While this traditional method attracted railfans, it impeded operational efficiency within Chicago’s rail system. As a component of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE), the crossing underwent modernization to an interlocked system during the weekend following July 6, 2007. This upgrade involved realigning tracks and installing new diamond crossings aimed at enhancing traffic flow and reliability.
History
By the early 1900s, the Brighton Park crossing involved rail lines from the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad (B&OCT); the Chicago Junction Railroad, under control of the New York Central Railroad as part of the Chicago River and Indiana; and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL or "Panhandle Route"), which was controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). The Panhandle Route ran in a north-south direction intersecting with the east-west Chicago and Alton (C&A) main line. Initially constructed in the 1860s by PCC&StL to cross C&A tracks, safe train movements were overseen by PCC&StL before responsibility transferred to PRR as additional railroads developed along the Panhandle corridor.
For PRR, the Panhandle Route connecting Pittsburgh to Cincinnati via Indianapolis was considered secondary compared to its Main Line through Fort Wayne, Indiana, which had direct access to Chicago Union Station. The Panhandle looped around Chicago’s western side to approach from the north. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad entered Chicago later than others, utilizing trackage rights and Panhandle routes to access Grand Central Station through a similar southern loop downtown over the St. Charles Air Line Bridge. The Chicago Junction Railroad primarily served stockyards and was eventually absorbed by New York Central.
At its height, Brighton Park consisted of eight tracks belonging to PRR, B&OCT, and CR&I intersecting two C&A tracks along with manually operated crossovers and wye tracks. Each railroad maintained switchtenders on-site; PRR operated two switchtender cabins located north and south to control B&OCT-C&A wye crossings over both Panhandle mainline and C&A lines. Switchtender cabin "A" managed operations at the Alton crossing until its interlocking in 2007.
Brighton Park was among several non-interlocked at-grade crossings used by B&OCT and PCC&StL lines including Ash Street, 26th Street, and 12th Street locations. Speed limits were restricted between 20-30 mph. Installing interlocking at Brighton Park without comprehensive line upgrades offered limited advantages. As passenger volumes declined and railroads encountered financial difficulties, investments diminished. After formation of Penn Central followed by Conrail, PCC&StL and CR&I routes consolidated under one operator. Conrail subsequently abandoned much of the Panhandle route, rerouting traffic onto CR&I lines which led to removal of two Panhandle tracks and reduction of crossing tracks to five. Under Conrail’s management, CR&I was downgraded to industrial track status. Existing crossing agreements with successor company Illinois Central Railroad provided minimal motivation for signal modernization.
Modernization
The 2007 upgrade to automate the Brighton Park crossing was undertaken as a component of the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE). The development of the application, site simulations, and factory testing were managed by Safetran Systems, a branch of Invensys Rail, based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, under the initiative named "Brighton Park / Pershing Main." This enhancement involved implementing full automation at the crossing and installing interlocked crossovers to the north and south, which replaced manually operated switches. These improvements aligned with the introduction of centralized traffic control on former Conrail and B&OCT lines, moving away from dark territory and automatic block signaling systems. Responsibility for managing the remote crossing shifted to Norfolk Southern, which had previously relied on a switchtender.
Future
Within the CREATE framework, there is a proposed flyover project at the CN/Heritage Corridor that would span above the Western Avenue Corridor tracks. This infrastructure aims to reduce congestion caused by 76 daily freight and passenger trains passing through the diamond crossing. However, this initiative has yet to secure funding.