Fox Lake station
Fox Lake station is part of Metra's Milwaukee District North Line, situated in Fox Lake, Illinois. Positioned at the intersection of Nippersink Boulevard and Grand Avenue, it lies from Chicago Union Station, the southern endpoint of the line, catering to passengers commuting to Downtown Chicago. Serving as the northernmost stop on the Milwaukee District North Line, Fox Lake ranked 141st among 236 non-central Metra stations in 2018, with an average weekday boarding figure of 322.
As of February 15, 2024, service at Fox Lake includes 32 trains on weekdays—16 in each direction—18 trains on Saturdays (nine each way), and all 18 trains on Sundays and holidays. Every Metra train that stops at Fox Lake begins and ends its route at this station.
Prior to 1982, commuter rail extended beyond Fox Lake to Walworth, Wisconsin. Before Amtrak's establishment in 1971, intercity services such as the Varsity and Sioux, operated by the Milwaukee Road, linked Fox Lake with cities including Janesville, Madison, and Rapid City in South Dakota.
Station layout
The station at Fox Lake includes a single platform dedicated to active Metra train service, accompanied by two additional tracks used exclusively for locomotives moving between the yard and mainline. A coach yard located east of the station stores trains during non-peak periods and overnight. Northward tracks from Fox Lake are owned by Wisconsin but operated by Wisconsin and Southern Railroad for freight purposes only. Commuter rail service beyond this station ceased during the 1980s. Between 2000 and 2001, Amtrak ran the Lake Country Limited over WSOR tracks without stopping at Fox Lake; this route was discontinued due to low passenger numbers and deteriorating track conditions.
Bus connections
- 570 Fox Lake-CLC
- 806 Crystal Lake-Fox Lake