Jump to content

Chicago Union Station

From Alfawiki
Chicago Union Station
Company typeRailroad station
IndustryTransportation
Founded1925
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States
ProductsIntercity and commuter rail services

Chicago Union Station functions as a major hub for both intercity and commuter rail services, situated in the West Loop area of Chicago. As the premier Midwest terminal for Amtrak, it serves as the endpoint for eight long-distance national routes and eight regional corridors, in addition to accommodating six Metra commuter rail lines.

Positioned just west of the Chicago River near the downtown Loop district, the station encompasses roughly nine and a half city blocks, primarily constructed underground beneath streets and high-rise buildings, exemplifying one of the earliest uses of railway air rights development.

Commissioned in 1925 to succeed the original 1881 facility, Union Station ranks as the fourth most frequented rail station in the United States, following New York City's Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Terminal, and Jamaica station. Daily passenger traffic reaches about 140,000 individuals, including around 10,000 Amtrak travelers. Architecturally, the station boasts Bedford limestone facades designed in the Beaux-Arts style, with an interior featuring Corinthian columns, marble flooring, and a Great Hall illuminated by brass lighting fixtures.

Union Station offers integration with various transit networks such as Chicago Transit Authority buses and 'L' trains, Metra commuter rail services, Pace suburban buses, Greyhound intercity buses, among others located within or near the complex.

Name

As a union station, Chicago Union Station is shared by multiple railroad companies and represents the third facility to occupy this location between West Adams Street and West Jackson Boulevard. It is commonly abbreviated as CUS and identified by Amtrak with the code CHI.

Location

Situated within Chicago's West Loop Gate neighborhood on the Near West Side and immediately west of the Loop, the station’s subterranean concourse and train yards lie adjacent to the Chicago River. Pedestrian tunnels extend beneath Canal Street to connect with the main terminal building located one block away.

Amtrak

Metra

Local rail service

Although Union Station does not provide direct access to local rapid transit, it is located within walking distance of two Chicago "L" stations:

  • Two blocks to the south served by the Blue Line
    Three blocks east in The Loop, accessible via Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines

Additionally, nearby Metra terminals including Ogilvie Transportation Center, LaSalle Street Station, and Millennium Station are also reachable on foot. Passengers transferring from Ogilvie Transportation Center can cross Madison Street to access Union Station’s northern platforms.

Bus Transportation

Union Station is directly accessible via numerous CTA bus lines, including:

  • Union Station Transit Center: 1, 28, 121, 124, 128, 151, 156
  • North side of Clinton Street (west side): 125, 130, 192
  • South side of Clinton Street (west side): 7, 60, 157
  • Southwest corner at Clinton and Jackson: 126, 754, 755 (Pace)

Established in 2016 on land formerly used for parking, the Union Station Transit Center lies adjacent to the station’s parking structure. It features an elevator and stair access connecting directly to the Amtrak underground pedestrian tunnel, enabling effortless transfers between bus services and train operations.

Additionally, Union Station accommodates a Greyhound ticket counter; some Greyhound and Megabus pickups take place on South Canal Street. The primary Greyhound terminal is situated about four blocks to the southwest.

Former Rail Services

Prior to the mergers involving Penn Central and Amtrak, Union Station functioned as a hub for several railroads:

Burlington Route Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Milwaukee Road New York Central Pennsylvania Panhandle Great Northern Northern Pacific
California Zephyr
Denver Zephyr
Twin Cities Zephyrs
American Royal Zephyr
Kansas City Zephyr
Western Star 		Alton Limited
Abraham Lincoln
Ann Rutledge
Midnight Special 		Twin Cities Hiawatha
Midwest Hiawatha
Pioneer Limited
Olympian
Columbian
Olympian Hiawatha 		City of San Francisco
City of Los Angeles
City of Portland
Challenger
Sioux
The Arrow 		The Admiral
Broadway Limited
The General
Trail Blazer
Cincinnati Daylight Express 		The Fort Pitt
Pennsylvania Limited
Pennsylvanian
Manhattan Limited
South Wind
Gotham Limited 		Empire Builder
Western Star 		North Coast Limited
Mainstreeter

Many historic train designations continue under Amtrak's current offerings, such as the Empire Builder, California Zephyr, and Hiawatha. The name Ann Rutledge was retained by Amtrak for routes between Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City until its discontinuation in 2009. The Lincoln Service also remains active within Illinois.

Station building

Situated to the west of Canal Street, the station building of Union Station spans an entire city block. Its focal point is the Great Hall, the principal waiting area, which is encircled by smaller rooms housing dining options and various services, along with a broad corridor leading to the concourse. Above this main level are multiple floors dedicated to office space, presently occupied by Amtrak. Although initial designs included a skyscraper rising above the Great Hall, this concept was never executed, despite recent reconsiderations.

Positioned in the northwest corner of the Great Hall, the Burlington Room functions as an event venue distinguished by its substantial columns, chandeliers, four French-style landscape murals, and an original mirror. Originally designed as a women's lounge, it underwent restoration in November 2016 after a prolonged period of disuse. The room now features color-adjustable lighting and an audiovisual setup tailored for hosting events.

Within the headhouse lies a former Fred Harvey Company restaurant area that suffered fire damage in 1980 and has remained unused since. In 2018, Amtrak revealed plans to transform this space into a multi-level food hall, financed through proceeds from selling its parking garage. The redevelopment includes a new entrance on Clinton Street equipped with a canopy and refurbished windows, targeting an opening in summer 2020.

Also housed in the headhouse is Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge—one of only seven nationwide—catering to first-class and business-class travelers with upscale amenities. After relocating from the concourse, it reopened in June 2016 and now occupies two floors totaling 13,500 square feet, effectively doubling its previous size. The lounge provides distinct seating areas designed for business travelers, families, and technology users, alongside restroom facilities featuring showers and elevator access.

Platforms and tracks

Union Station employs a double stub-end configuration with 10 tracks entering from the north and 14 from the south. Unlike most major Amtrak hubs, every train at Union Station either begins or ends its route here; passengers must transfer trains to continue through Chicago. Two through tracks facilitate equipment movements out of service between the north and south sides; one includes a platform accommodating extra-long trains. A passenger concourse connecting both sides enables access to platforms without using stairs or elevators. Odd-numbered platforms (1–19) serve the northern section, while even-numbered platforms (2–30) serve the southern section. The northern tracks accommodate Amtrak’s Hiawatha, Borealis, and Empire Builder lines as well as Metra’s Milwaukee District West, Milwaukee District North, and North Central Service routes. The southern tracks handle additional Amtrak services along with Metra’s BNSF, Heritage Corridor, and SouthWest Service lines. Two glasshouse control centers oversee train-to-track assignments; switching and signaling operations are managed by two "train directors" within Amtrak’s central control center.

Access to Union Station’s underground platforms is available through several entrances. The primary entrance on Canal Street faces the headhouse and offers direct subterranean access from within it. Secondary entry points are found at Riverside Plaza near the Jackson Boulevard and Adams Street bridges. The Union Station Transit Center bus terminal across Jackson Boulevard connects to the south concourse via stairs and elevators. Additional entrances on Madison Street provide access to northern platforms close to Ogilvie Transportation Center.

Architecture

Conceived by D. H. Burnham & Company and finalized by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, Union Station was forward-thinking in addressing automobile traffic, initiating its design in 1909. The station unified ticket counters, concourses, platforms, waiting areas, baggage handling, and retail spaces all on a single floor to facilitate straightforward movement. At its inauguration, the facility also housed a hospital, chapel, and jail cell.

The primary structure is a Neoclassical square occupying an entire city block, standing in stark contrast to the modern glass skyscrapers nearby. Its façade is distinguished by expansive porticos and grand colonnades crafted from Indiana limestone.

Originally, a magnificent Beaux-Arts concourse building faced the river, featuring marble, glass, ironwork, and massive steel arches supporting a vaulted roof with staircases descending to the platforms below. This concourse was removed in 1969 and replaced with an office tower.

Great Hall

Situated at the heart of the station is the Great Hall, an impressive 110 ft-tall atrium crowned by a broad barrel-vaulted skylight. Spanning 24,000 sqft, this area connects lobbies, staircases, and balconies. Travelers find seating on large wooden benches while two subterranean taxicab driveways provide weather-protected access. The columns are fashioned from textured Roman travertine topped with gilded Corinthian capitals, complemented by coffered ceilings adorned with ornamental rosettes.

Overlooking visitors are two sculptures by Henry Hering—Night and Day—which represent the continuous operation of the railroads. The Night figure carries an owl; the Day figure holds a rooster.

Power station

The Chicago Union Station Power House is a retired coal-powered plant that once supplied electricity to Union Station and adjacent facilities. Positioned on the Chicago River just north of Roosevelt Road, it was designed in 1931 by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White in the Art Moderne architectural style. The facility ceased operations in 2011.

Amtrak's intention to demolish the structure led to its listing on Preservation Chicago's 7 Most Endangered list in both 2017 and 2020. Advocates for preservation seek to conserve and adapt this landmark building for new uses.

Post office

The architectural firm responsible for Union Station also created the Old Chicago Main Post Office, which sits above the station’s southern rail lines. Opening four years prior to Union Station, this post office utilized direct rail access below to expedite mail handling. An expansion completed in 1932 established it as the largest post office worldwide at that time.

Construction over the station's train shed

The vast air rights above Union Station’s tracks attracted developers inspired by New York’s Terminal City concept. The first development was the Chicago Daily News building in 1929—a striking Art Deco edifice that introduced a public riverside walkway later named Riverside Plaza. In 1932, the monumental Art Deco Old Chicago Main Post Office opened, covering two entire city blocks. Development halted during the Great Depression and World War II, resuming in the 1960s with Gateway Center—a Modernist project originally planned for five buildings; only four were completed by the 1980s due to economic challenges.

The tallest building constructed over the tracks was the Morton International Building, now known as the Boeing Building, which debuted in 1990. Subsequent projects such as River Point (2013) and 150 North Riverside (2014) resulted in continuous overhead development spanning from Fulton Street in the north to Polk Street in the south along the train shed.

Unlike Grand Central Terminal—which has exclusively operated electric trains since its inception—Chicago Union Station’s train shed beneath these structures allowed smoke and soot from locomotives to accumulate around the facility.

History

Chicago's present Union Station is the second to bear this name and may represent the third rail terminal at this location. The drive to merge multiple terminals into one centralized station was a significant political concern in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time, various competing railroads maintained separate terminals surrounding the central business district, known as the Loop. This dispersed arrangement obstructed the city's growth and complicated travel for passengers passing through, who often had to endure inconvenient transfers delayed by street congestion. Union Station was a pivotal component of architect Daniel Burnham's 1909 comprehensive Plan of Chicago.

Predecessors

The first station at what is now Union Station's site was established on December 25, 1858, when the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad extended service to Van Buren Street on Chicago’s west side of the Chicago River. A more permanent depot followed in 1861 at Canal and Madison streets.

On April 7, 1874, five railroads reached an agreement to construct and share a union station located just north of the original facility. These railroads included:

However, Michigan Central opted out, continuing operations at the Illinois Central Depot. The Chicago and North Western Railway contemplated joining but postponed its decision and eventually built its own terminal in 1911.

The four remaining railroads inaugurated the station in 1881. Its headhouse faced Canal Street between Madison and Adams Streets. Tracks approached from the south with platforms situated between the headhouse and riverbank. Bridges spanned Adams, Jackson, and Van Buren Streets above. The facility operated essentially as two stub-end terminals positioned back-to-back, compelling passengers to transfer trains to continue their journeys.[1]

Replacement

Increasing passenger volumes combined with civic efforts to unify terminals prompted plans for a larger Union Station under the newly established Chicago Union Station Company, which included all original railroads except Chicago and Alton, who became tenants rather than owners. The Pennsylvania Railroad, then recognized as America's largest railroad, took charge of overseeing the project.[1]

Designed by D. H. Burnham & Company with final completion by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, construction commenced in 1913 following acquisition of neighboring properties and relocation of freight operations. Progress was hindered by World War I until work resumed in 1919.[1] The station officially opened on May 16, 1925; however, viaduct construction continued through 1927. Initial budget estimates were $65 million but ultimately escalated to $75 million.[2]

Delays were attributed to wartime conditions, labor shortages, and strikes. Building the new station required demolishing structures such as the Butler Brothers Warehouse. As an exemplar of Beaux-Arts architecture from the American Renaissance period, Union Station blended classical design principles with state-of-the-art engineering and urban planning, earning distinction as one of the era’s most outstanding railroad terminals.

Wartime, decline, and revival

Union Station experienced its busiest period during World War II, handling as many as 300 trains and accommodating around 100,000 passengers each day, a significant portion being military personnel. This vibrant scene was famously captured by illustrator Norman Rockwell on the December 1944 cover of The Saturday Evening Post, portraying the station filled with holiday travelers. Following the war, the rise in automobile ownership and expansion of highway systems caused a steep drop in passenger rail use, adversely affecting Union Station's operations.

In 1969, the station’s proprietor demolished the original concourse to make way for a contemporary office building, replacing it with a smaller, modern underground concourse. The creation of Amtrak in May 1971 marked the start of federally operated long-distance passenger train services, while commuter rail lines continued under private management. A fire in 1980 inflicted heavy damage on the station’s Fred Harvey restaurant and adjacent Clinton Street windows; this area has remained unoccupied since.

By 1984, Amtrak had acquired full ownership of Union Station after purchasing shares previously held by Burlington Northern and Milwaukee Road. The 1990s saw Lucien Lagrange Associates undertake restoration projects including reopening the Great Hall and uncovering its skylight, which had been obscured since the Second World War. Despite these efforts, numerous parts of the station remained disused and in need of refurbishment.

21st century developments

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, security measures led Amtrak to close the taxicab drives. Passenger volumes have since surpassed the design limits established during the 1991 renovation. On May 1, 2002, Union Station received designation as a Chicago Landmark, safeguarding its exterior facades, rooflines, and significant interior spaces such as the Great Hall and its skylight.

In 2010, Amtrak announced plans to install air conditioning in the Great Hall for the first time since the 1960s. That same year, an investigation by the Chicago Tribune revealed elevated diesel soot levels on underground platforms. In response, Metra created an "Emissions Task Force" to improve air quality. The following year saw installation of energy-efficient lighting equipped with motion sensors, reducing carbon emissions by four million tons annually. Custom steel light fixtures were designed to complement the station’s neoclassical architecture.

A public meeting held in 2011 addressed anticipated passenger growth of 40% by 2040. The master plan released in 2012 set forth immediate objectives such as enhancing entrances, enlarging waiting areas, improving bus lanes along Clinton and Canal Streets, and constructing a bus terminal completed in 2016. Medium-term aims included widening commuter platforms, converting unused mail platforms for intercity trains, adding tracks and platforms, reorganizing facilities for improved circulation and capacity, raising track clearances, and upgrading street access. Long-term proposals explored expanding or replacing station facilities along South Canal Street and increasing track capacity on Clinton or Canal Streets.

In June 2015, Amtrak revealed renovation plans that involved reopening long-closed sections and replacing deteriorated staircases with marble sourced from the original Roman quarry. By 2016, the former women’s lounge was transformed into the Burlington Room event space featuring restored columns, chandeliers (including replicas), murals, and modern audiovisual systems.

Also in 2016, Amtrak initiated a redevelopment competition won by Riverside Investment & Development Co., which proposed new retail spaces, a food hall, and two twelve-story towers—reviving a tower concept initially proposed in 2007 above Union Station.

Between 2018 and 2019, a $22 million restoration project for the Great Hall increased natural light penetration by up to 60% through repairs to the historic skylight and addition of a weather-resistant glass canopy above it.

Riverside’s 2018 proposal included adding a seven-story structure with 404 apartments atop Union Station along with converting upper floors into a 330-room hotel. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, this glass-and-bronze addition paid homage to Burnham’s original tower idea but received mixed feedback. Later that year, Riverside abandoned plans for the seven-story addition in favor of constructing a single penthouse floor set back from street view and proposed building a new fifty-story office tower to replace the station’s underutilized parking garage.

Amtrak also announced intentions in 2018 to transform the former Fred Harvey restaurant into a multi-level food hall funded through proceeds from parking garage redevelopment. This project included creating a new entrance on Clinton Street with an overhead canopy and restoring historic windows; it aimed for completion by summer 2020.

In September 2019, Union Station’s seven-hundred-car parking garage was closed and demolished to make way for , BMO Tower, which opened in 2021. The skyscraper features a park atop four hundred parking spaces while maintaining uninterrupted pedestrian access via the adjacent pedway.

In March 2020, Illinois Representative Dan Lipinski introduced legislation proposing transfer of operational control over Union Station from Amtrak to Metra, citing Metra’s higher ridership numbers and superior management experience at other stations. Amtrak warned that relinquishing control could result in service termination that would disrupt both regional and national rail operations. Congressional discussions were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In popular culture

Union Station has been a notable backdrop for a variety of films, including The Sting (1973), Silver Streak (1976), The Untouchables (1987), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), Public Enemies (2009), and Man of Steel (2013). The station also appeared in a 1994 episode of ER entitled "Union Station" and was featured in Season 4, Episode 8 of the series Fargo (2020), where it was portrayed as Kansas City Union Station. In 2016, an exhibition celebrated the station’s significance in American filmmaking. Furthermore, Union Station is depicted on the cover artwork of To All Trains, the final album released by Chicago-based rock band Shellac.

Amtrak ridership statistics

In 2019, Amtrak reported a total of 3,379,760 passenger boardings and alightings at Union Station. Of these, 3,161,204 tickets were sold for coach and business class travel, while first class and sleeper accommodations accounted for 218,556 tickets. State-supported routes, such as the Blue Water, Hiawatha Service, and Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg, represented 2,365,259 trips. Meanwhile, long-distance services including the California Zephyr and Empire Builder contributed 1,007,508 trips.

The average journey length recorded in 2019 was 327 miles; passengers traveling in coach or business class averaged 263 miles per trip, whereas those in first class or sleeper accommodations averaged significantly longer distances at 1,243 miles. Between fiscal years 2002 and 2008, passenger numbers more than doubled, exceeding 3.1 million by 2008.

Annual Amtrak passenger traffic (arrivals + departures)
Year Passengers
(in thousands) 		Change
2019 3,379.8 Increase 2.6%
2018 3,293.6 Decrease 0.8%
2017 3,321.2 Increase 4.0%
2016 3,191.0 Decrease 1.7%
2015 3,247.4 Decrease 1.9%
2014 3,311.3 Decrease 3.7%
2013 3,437.7 --

The ten busiest station pairs linked to Chicago Union Station by Amtrak ridership in 2019 were:

Top station pairs by Amtrak ridership (2019)
Rank Station City Distance from
Chicago Union Station 		Connecting Amtrak services
1 Milwaukee Intermodal Station Milwaukee, Wisconsin 86 miles (138 km) Hiawatha
2 Gateway Transportation Center St. Louis, Missouri 284 miles (457 km) Lincoln Service, Texas Eagle
3 Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station Milwaukee, Wisconsin 78 miles (126 km) Hiawatha
4 Uptown Station Normal, Illinois 124 miles (200 km) Lincoln Service, Texas Eagle
5 Illinois Terminal Champaign, Illinois 129 miles (208 km) City of New Orleans, Illini, Saluki
6 Template:Stn Ann Arbor, Michigan 243 miles (391 km) Wolverine
7 Springfield Springfield, Illinois 185 miles (298 km) Lincoln Service, Texas Eagle
8 Kalamazoo Transportation Center Kalamazoo, Michigan 138 miles (222 km) Blue Water, Wolverine
9 Template:Stn Sturtevant, Wisconsin 62 miles (100 km) Hiawatha
10 John D. Dingell Transit Center Dearborn, Michigan 273 miles (439 km) Wolverine

Overall ridership figures

Total weekday Metra ridership at Union Station
Study period Average daily inbound alightings Average daily outbound boardings
Fall 2018 55,979 54,882
Fall 2016 55,565 55,494
Spring 2014 55,098 54,422
Fall 2006 54,388
Fall 2002 49,883
Fall 1999 51,221
Fall 1997 48,579
Fall 1995 43,920
Fall 1993 42,301
Fall 1989 42,409
Fall 1987 39,510
Spring 1985 35,968
Spring 1983 32,834
Total weekday Metra ridership at Union Station broken down by time of day
Study period Inbound alightings Outbound boardings
Morning peak Midday Evening peak Night Morning peak Midday Evening peak Night
Fall 2018 49,911 4,442 2,108 518 1,542 4,994 43,887 4,459
Fall 2016 47,725 4,653 2,643 544 1,561 5,039 43,439 5,455
Spring 2014 48,066 3,985 2,492 555 1,587 4,542 42,845 5,448

See also

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Solomon
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named facts
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Chicago_Union_Station&oldid=15964"