Ravenswood branch
| Company type | Transit branch |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago neighborhoods including Lakeview, Roscoe Village, North Center, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood Manor, Albany Park |
| Parent | Chicago Transit Authority |
The Ravenswood branch constitutes a portion of the Chicago "L", managed by the Chicago Transit Authority, and accommodates the Brown Line. As reported in February 2013, it handles an average weekday ridership of 30,949 passengers.
Service
Train operations on this branch run between Kimball and Belmont from 4:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, while on Sundays and holidays service begins at 5:00 a.m. and continues until 1:00 a.m., with return trips extending slightly beyond these times. The branch connects several prominent Chicago neighborhoods such as Lakeview, Roscoe Village, North Center, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, Ravenswood Manor, and Albany Park.
History
After launching its main line in 1900, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad focused on expanding northwestward to serve the densely inhabited Ravenswood district. Early plans for a surface-level extension beyond Wilson faced resistance, prompting a shift to an elevated track proposal. In 1903, the company suggested an elevated alignment along Irving Park Road extending to Ravenswood Avenue, then turning north and west toward Western Avenue. However, the city's franchise mandated that the route run between Roscoe Street and Newport Avenue instead.
Construction commenced in 1906, with service beginning on May 18, 1907, between Belmont and Western. The surface-level segment reaching Kimball opened on December 14, 1907, featuring three intermediate stops at Francisco, Kedzie, and Rockwell. Initially functioning as a shuttle between Western and Kimball until March 1909, the branch was later linked to the South Side Elevated Railroad's Kenwood branch through the Loop in 1913.
The current routing was established on August 1, 1949, under the designation Ravenswood Branch; concurrently, the Ravenswood station was closed. The Paulina station experienced a brief closure in September 1973 but resumed service within a month. A new Kimball station was inaugurated in October 1974. The CTA officially rebranded the line as the Brown Line on February 21, 1993.
Annual ridership increased from 8.1 million in 1987 to 10.6 million by 1998 due to population growth in adjacent neighborhoods. To accommodate this rise, the CTA extended Loop service hours until midnight and introduced shuttle operations between Kimball and Belmont outside regular schedules starting in summer 2000 to facilitate better transfers with the Red Line's all-day service.
Station listing
| Station | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 4755 N. Kimball Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 4648 N. Kedzie Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 4648 N. Francisco Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 4648 N. Rockwell Street | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 4648 N. Western Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access Template:Rint | 4645 N. Damen Avenue | |
| Template:Cta | 4530 N. Ravenswood Avenue | Closed August 1, 1949; demolished |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 1817 W. Montrose Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 1816 W. Irving Park Road | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 1818 W. Addison Street | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 3410 N. Lincoln Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 3411 N. Southport Avenue | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | 945 W. Belmont Avenue |
External links
- Ravenswood Branch of the Brown Line on Chicago-L.org