Racine station (CTA Metropolitan Main Line)
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Defunct | 1954 |
| Fate | Closed and dismantled for Eisenhower Expressway construction; replaced by new Racine station on Congress Line |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Racine served as a rapid transit stop on the Chicago "L"'s Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad main line from 1895 until its closure in 1954. The station was dismantled along with several other main line stops to facilitate construction of the Eisenhower Expressway and its accompanying Congress Line. Subsequently, a new Racine station was established on the Congress Line to replace it.
History
The Metropolitan main line commenced operations on May 6, 1895, initially featuring a station named Centre Avenue. This station was renamed Racine in 1913 to correspond with the street's updated designation.
On December 9, 1951, skip-stop service was introduced, categorizing Racine as a "B" station; this classification was elevated to "AB" by September 1953.
After the Logan Square and Humboldt Park routes were redirected through the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway in 1951, and Garfield Park trains began running on temporary surface-level tracks in 1953, Douglas Park trains started utilizing the Paulina Connector on April 4, 1954. This change eliminated all train service to Racine, resulting in its closure alongside Marshfield station. Passengers traveling on Douglas Park lines who needed to transfer to Garfield Park were instructed to use Madison/Wells station within the Loop, while eastbound Garfield Park riders transferring to Douglas Park did so at State/Van Buren. The Congress Line incorporated a newly built Racine station as a direct successor.
Station details
The Racine station building was made of red pressed brick resting on a stone foundation and sill. Inside, it featured painted walls, hardwood flooring, a restroom facility, a water heater, a newsstand, and a ticket agent's booth.
Its platforms and staircases consisted of wooden structures supported by steel girders. The main line included four tracks with two island platforms positioned between the inner and outer tracks at first. However, due to dangerous curves on the outer tracks, the station underwent reconstruction between 1898 and 1914, resulting in one side platform per track. This distinctive configuration was necessary because the station was located just one block east of the Metropolitan's Throop Shop, which required track pairs to diverge around the facility. It is believed that the original southern island platform was transformed into a side platform during this renovation.