Milwaukee District West Line

Milwaukee District West Line

Company type	Commuter rail line
Industry	Public transportation
Predecessor	Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road)
Founded	1982
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Area served	Chicago metropolitan area
Owner	Metra
Parent	Metra
Website	metra.com

The Milwaukee District West Line (MD-W) operates as a Metra commuter rail route connecting Chicago with its western suburban areas. Although Metra does not officially designate colors for its routes, the MD-W schedule is marked by a dark "Arrow Yellow," paying tribute to the Milwaukee Road's Arrow passenger service. Train dispatching duties are managed by the American headquarters of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railway located in Minneapolis.

This line extends from Chicago Union Station to Elgin, Illinois, providing 52 weekday trips—split evenly with 26 inbound and 26 outbound services. Most inbound trains commence from , while additional trains start at , , and . Outbound routes mainly conclude at Big Timber Road, with some terminating at Franklin Park or National Street. Weekend operations feature fewer roundtrips running only between Union Station and Elgin, with no service reaching Big Timber Road.

Running along CPKC’s Elgin Subdivision, previously part of Milwaukee Road’s Omaha route, the MD-W Line was transferred to the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Rail Corporation in 1982 after being sold by Milwaukee Road. Following Milwaukee Road’s bankruptcy and Soo Line Railroad's acquisition, Metra purchased the line in 1987. Freight services were maintained by Soo Line until Canadian Pacific took over in 1990; Canadian Pacific later merged with Kansas City Southern in 2023, forming CPKC.

Metra’s Cost Benefit Analysis explores possible westward expansions of the MD-W Line using CPKC tracks toward Hampshire and Pingree Grove or alternatively northwest through Union Pacific’s Belvidere line to Marengo, including stops at Gilberts, Huntley, and Union. In 2023, Governor J. B. Pritzker appointed Metra to operate new intercity rail service extending beyond Big Timber Road to Rockford, Illinois. This service will include intermediate stops at Belvidere, Huntley, and one of Elgin’s current stations. The initiative aims to enhance capacity by offering express reverse-commute options and improved weekend frequencies between Elgin and Union Station.

Set to launch in 2027, this extension will reintroduce passenger rail travel between Chicago and Rockford for the first time since the discontinuation of Amtrak’s Black Hawk in 1981.

Ridership

Annual ridership on the MD-W Line fell by 15% from 6,946,268 in 2014 to 5,904,808 in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant drop in passengers, reducing ridership to 1,480,973 in 2020.

Rolling stock

The locomotive roster for the MD-W primarily consists of MPI MP36PH-3C diesel-electric units alongside some EMD F40PH locomotives and former GO Transit EMD F59PH engines. These locomotives are shared with the North Central Service and the Milwaukee District North Line. As of 2016, three locomotives remained actively used.

Passenger cars are mainly Nippon Sharyo coaches manufactured in the early 2000s, which include cab cars. Older Budd-built coaches continue to be utilized; however, their cab cars have been phased out following the introduction of newer equipment.

Stations

Template:Stl Metra Hanson ParkTemplate:BSflagTemplate:Rint bus 1 CTA Bus: 65, 85 Template:Stl Metra Cragin Closed in 2006; replaced by Template:Stl Metra Grand/CiceroTemplate:Stl Metra Grand/CiceroTemplate:BSflagTemplate:Rint bus 1 CTA Bus: 54, 65, 73 Template:Stl Metra HermosaClosed in 2006; replaced by Grand/CiceroTemplate:Stl Metra Western Avenue Milwaukee DistrictTemplate:Rint chicago metra Metra lines MDN and NC
CTA Bus: 49, X49, 65 Ashland–Ogden Proposed station; anticipated opening in 2032

County	Zone	Location	Station	Connections and notes
Kane	4	Elgin		Template:Rint Pace: 550
				Template:Rint Pace routes including 541–550, 552, 554, 603, 801
				Template:Rint Pace: 546, 801
Cook
		Elgin/Bartlett vicinity	Spaulding	Closed in 1971
	4	Bartlett
DuPage/ Cook		Hanover Park		Template:Rint Pace: 554; formerly Ontarioville
		Schaumburg
DuPage		Roselle
	3	Medinah
		Itasca
		Wood Dale
		Bensenville		Template:Rint Pace: 319, 332
Cook	2	Franklin Park	Template:BSflag	Template:Rint Pace: 319, 330
				Template:Rint Pace: 303, 319
		River Grove		Template:Rint Metra: Template:Rcb Template:Rint Pace: 319, 331
		Elmwood Park		Template:Rint Pace: 319
		rowspan=10 Chicago		Template:Rint CTA Bus: 65, 74
		Template:BSflag
			Template:Rint bus 1 CTA Bus: 86
		1 Template:Stl Metra Chicago Connections consist of: * Amtrak long-distance trains such as California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, among others. * Amtrak intercity services including Hiawatha, Illinois Zephyr, Lincoln Service, and more. * Various Metra lines (BNSF, HC, MDN, NC, SW). * Chicago "L" lines (Blue at Clinton; Brown, Orange, Pink & Purple at Quincy). * Extensive CTA and Pace bus networks. * Amtrak Thruway buses providing links to Madison and Rockford (Van Galder), as well as Louisville (Greyhound).

External links

• Metra Milwaukee District/West timetable and route information