Madison station (CTA)
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rapid transit |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Defunct | 1951 |
| Fate | Operations merged into Chicago Elevated Railways (1911), then Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924), later taken over by Chicago Transit Authority (1947) |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago, Illinois |
| Products | Rapid transit service (Chicago "L") |
Madison was a rapid transit stop on the Chicago "L"'s Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, serving the Logan Square branch from 1895 until 1951. Reflecting the typical design of Metropolitan stations, it included a Queen Anne-style station building alongside two wooden side platforms. Throughout much of its service life, Madison provided access to the nearby Chicago Stadium.
The Metropolitan was one of the quartet of original companies that established the "L" system and was the pioneer in employing electric traction. Operations were consolidated under Chicago Elevated Railways in 1911, followed by a formal merger into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company in 1924. Private management concluded in 1947 when control transferred to the public Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).
Efforts to replace the Logan Square branch with a subway line for improved downtown connectivity began in the late 1930s. The CTA inaugurated the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway on February 25, 1951, resulting in the closure of Madison and neighboring stations; however, Madison’s tracks and station structure remained intact. The station building continued functioning commercially until the late 1990s before being demolished despite its historical designation. The tracks were maintained for non-revenue operations until their reopening as part of the Pink Line in 2006.
Given its proximity to Chicago Stadium and later the United Center, there have been several proposals to revive Madison station, particularly following the Pink Line’s introduction. In 2017, the CTA decided to reactivate Damen station on the Green Line to serve United Center patrons. More recently, in 2025, city officials announced plans to investigate reconstructing Madison station as an element of Project 1901.
History
On April 7, 1892, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company secured a 50-year franchise from the Chicago City Council and promptly acquired necessary rights of way. Its network consisted of a main line extending westward from downtown Chicago to Marshfield, where it branched into three directions: northwest toward Logan Square, west toward Garfield Park, and southwest toward Douglas Park. An additional branch to Humboldt Park stretched westward beyond Robey station along the Logan Square branch. Although originally intended for steam locomotive operation, the company transitioned in May 1894 to electric-powered trains, becoming the first elevated railroad in America to do so. By October 1894, tracks for the Logan Square branch were completed and electrified by April 1895. Service commenced on May 6, 1895, operating between Robey on Logan Square and Canal on the main line, inaugurating eleven stations including one located on Madison Street.
Initially operated by the West Side Construction Company, management shifted to the Metropolitan in October 1896; both entities shared leadership roles. Financial difficulties led to receivership in 1897, after which operations were assumed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Company in February 1899. On July 1, 1911, the Metropolitan became part of the Chicago Elevated Railways (CER) trust, which unified management and introduced free transfers while maintaining separate corporate identities. This arrangement persisted until January 9, 1924, when all constituent companies merged into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT), with the former Metropolitan designated as its Metropolitan Division. Although public ownership of transit had been debated for years, municipal control was only realized with establishment of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 1945, which took over "L" operations on October 1, 1947.
Closure and demolition
Efforts to construct a subway in Chicago aimed at easing congestion and substituting elevated tracks trace back to the early 1900s, though advancement was gradual. In 1937, the city applied for Public Works Administration (PWA) funds to build a State Street subway. Harold L. Ickes, the PWA administrator, rejected an initial streetcar tunnel proposal and instead endorsed a second subway beneath Dearborn Street and Milwaukee Avenue, offering a more direct route from Logan Square to downtown. Despite opposition from local figures such as Mayor Edward Joseph Kelly, the Dearborn plan was approved in 1938. A subsequent 1939 proposal suggested replacing the Metropolitan main line and Garfield Park branch with rapid transit running through what would become the Interstate 290 corridor, aiming to link routes through downtown rather than using a trunk-and-branch configuration.
Approval of the subway did not immediately lead to the closure of the Logan Square branch; plans included connecting it with the Ravenswood branch and routing trains via a new Ashland Avenue subway to establish a crosstown line. Damen Tower was reconstructed in anticipation of train transfers between subway and elevated lines, similar to connections made with the State Street subway. As late as 1949, commuters were assured this integration would maintain Logan Square trackage. Nevertheless, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) chose not to operate either the old Logan Square elevated or Humboldt Park branch; Damen Tower was never equipped with switching mechanisms, and once the Dearborn subway opened, the Logan Square branch south of Damen ceased operations.
Although construction of the Dearborn subway was 82% complete by 1942, World War II caused work to halt, while progress on the State Street subway continued uninterrupted. After the war, the Dearborn subway commenced service in February 1951, cutting travel time between Logan Square and downtown from 28 minutes to 15. Initially terminating at LaSalle station due to incomplete Congress Line construction, ridership surged by over 60% compared to the former Logan Square branch despite criticism over losing direct access to the Near West Side.
The infrastructure of the former Logan Square branch remained as the Paulina Connector, linking both the branch and subway to the broader "L" system. Construction on the Congress Line began in 1954; during this period, the Paulina Connector south of Washington Boulevard reopened to connect the Douglas branch with the Loop, although Madison station continued to be closed. Upon completion of the Congress Line in 1958—which created the West-Northwest Route by joining with the Douglas branch—the Connector reverted exclusively to non-revenue functions.
Following its closure, Madison station’s canopies and platforms were dismantled; its station house found various commercial uses over time—including operating as a hot dog stand during the 1990s—and remained standing for much of that century. The Chicago Historic Resources Survey assigned it an "Orange" rating, denoting community importance, but it was ultimately demolished during the 1990s. Some platform trusses and steel latticework persisted until area renovations restored revenue service with the Pink Line in 2006.
Possible revivals
While Madison station was active, it served patrons attending events at nearby Chicago Stadium, which was replaced by the United Center in the 1990s. Due to its location near this arena, several initiatives have sought to reactivate Madison station. One such proposal aimed at reopening Madison for the 1996 Democratic National Convention failed to come to fruition. In 2004, during CTA planning for a "Silver Line" (later renamed Pink Line), proposals included new stations at Madison and Van Buren intended as transfer points for Blue Line riders. In 2012, when Chicago Bulls announced plans for a $95 million development nearby, Mayor Rahm Emanuel suggested reopening Madison station to support it; however, CTA declined at that time but left open possibilities for future reconsideration.
Currently, United Center visitors are served by Illinois Medical District station on Damen Avenue along with Ashland stations on both Green and Pink Lines plus local bus routes. On February 9, 2017, CTA revealed plans for a new Green Line station on Damen Avenue near United Center. This proposed Damen station—closer than Illinois Medical District station by about 0.75 miles and replacing a station closed in 1948—was selected due to its proximity to industrial and residential neighborhoods and its role in closing a 1.5-mile gap on Green Line between Ashland and California stations.
In 2025, discussions surfaced regarding constructing a new Pink Line station as part of Project 1901 development directly east of United Center—effectively reconstructing what had been Madison station before its demolition in 1951.
Station details
Engineers from the Metropolitan designed the station, which was constructed by Jonathan Clark and Sons under the supervision of general contractor Alfred Walcott. The building showcased red pressed brick complemented by stone sills and foundations. Reflecting architectural elements similar to other Logan Square branch stations such as California and Damen, it combined Queen Anne style with Romanesque characteristics. The front elevation featured a semicircular bay topped with cornices and dentils, housing two entrances marked "entrance" and "exit," beneath a wooden canopy.
The station included two wooden side platforms upheld by steel frameworks, covered by iron-framed canopies with tin hipped roofs. The railings were adorned with square cast iron panels featuring diamond patterns.
Operations and connections
At the outset, Metropolitan trains operated at six-minute intervals between 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., switching to ten-minute intervals overnight, maintaining an average speed of 16 mph. By 1898, nighttime service was scheduled every 30 minutes per branch or every 15 minutes on combined sections of the Northwest branch. Unlike the Lake Street Elevated line, all Metropolitan motor cars allowed smoking until a citywide prohibition was enacted in 1918 due to influenza concerns—a ban that remained in effect thereafter.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, fares were legally set at five cents, briefly increasing to six cents in 1917 before settling at ten cents in 1920. Starting in 1922, passengers could purchase three-ride fare packs for 25 cents (approximately 8⅓ cents per ride), alongside single-ride fares of ten cents. That same year introduced the first major U.S. city weekly pass priced at $1.25 for rides within city limits. Unlike other elevated lines, the Metropolitan collected fares directly through station agents who recorded payments instead of issuing tickets; this method eventually expanded system-wide. Initially, station agents worked around-the-clock shifts, while conductors aboard trains intermittently managed fare collection on the Northwest branch between 1931 and 1937.
Madison Street ranked among Chicago’s "Big Five" streetcar routes, distinguished by its high passenger volume, frequent service intervals, and operation of two-car trains rather than typical single-car runs. The corridor hosted some of Chicago's earliest transit modes, starting with horse-drawn cars in 1859. Cable cars operated nearby until streetcars replaced them in August 1906. Designated as Through Route 20 (TR 20) in 1921, its service remained steady despite this formal naming. From 1923 to 1930, two-car motor-trailer trains were common; multiple-unit control trains underwent trials beginning in 1924. By 1928, TR 20 provided owl service every ten minutes overnight, with daytime frequencies ranging from eight to fifteen minutes across Chicago’s streetcar network. After the station ceased operations, weekend streetcar service was replaced by buses starting May 1952 and fully transitioned by December 1953.
Ridership
In 1948, Madison station recorded a total of 217,551 passengers—a decrease of 21.12% compared to the previous year’s figure of 275,802. It was ranked 165th out of 223 Chicago "L" stations reporting ridership in that year, dropping from its position at 148th out of 222 stations in 1947. Several stops on the Niles Center and Westchester branches operated without staff and did not submit ridership statistics. Additionally, closures of certain stations during 1948 influenced overall rankings. Exchange station on the Stock Yards branch had no data available for 1947 but provided figures for 1948.