St. Louis station (CTA Garfield Park branch)
| Company type | Rapid transit operator |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Fate | Operations taken over by Chicago Elevated Railways trust in 1911; later became part of Chicago Rapid Transit Company in 1924 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago, Illinois |
St. Louis functioned as a rapid transit stop on the Chicago "L" network between 1895 and 1953. It was constructed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad to serve the Garfield Park branch. Beginning in 1905, the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), an interurban line catering to Chicago’s western suburbs, also utilized the Garfield Park branch tracks. To accommodate the faster interurban trains overtaking the slower "L" trains on this two-track route, crossover interlockings were installed on both sides of St. Louis station in 1911.
History
In 1892, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company secured a 50-year franchise from the Chicago City Council and swiftly obtained the necessary right of way. Its network featured a main line extending westward from the downtown, which then divided into three branches: northwest toward Logan Square, westward to Garfield Park, and southwest to Douglas Park. The Garfield Park branch commenced operations on June 19, 1895.
Initially managed by the West Side Construction Company, operational control formally shifted to the Metropolitan in 1896. However, financial difficulties stemming from construction costs led to receivership in 1897; subsequently, a reorganized Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Company took over operations in 1899.
The Aurora Elgin and Chicago Railway (AE&C) began its services in 1902 and started running on the Garfield Park branch in 1905. While AE&C trains typically passed "L" trains at Marshfield Junction, they frequently caught up near St. Louis station, causing them to follow slower "L" trains for distances up to two miles. To mitigate this issue, diamond interlockings were installed around St. Louis station by August 1911, enabling AE&C trains to pass "L" trains without delay.
In 1911, the Metropolitan became part of the Chicago Elevated Railways (CER) trust, which centralized management and introduced free transfers while maintaining company independence. By 1924, these companies consolidated into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT), with the former Metropolitan operating as its Metropolitan Division. Public ownership was established when the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) was formed in 1945 and assumed control of operations in 1947.
After AE&C declared bankruptcy in 1919, it restructured as the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E) in 1921. St. Louis station ultimately ceased operations in 1958 upon being superseded by the Congress Line.
Station details
Situated at 614 South St. Louis Avenue, the station featured a tower installed on the eastern portion of its southern eastbound platform following the addition of interlockings. These mechanical interlockings incorporated number 7 frogs.
Ridership
The last year individual station ridership figures were reported for the Garfield Park branch was 1948; during that year, St. Louis station accommodated 497,085 passengers—a decrease of 13.77% compared to 576,453 riders in 1947. This positioned it as the 95th busiest among 223 staffed "L" stations in 1948, down from its rank of 87th out of 222 stations in 1947. Certain stops on the Niles Center and Westchester branches had become permanently unstaffed and thus did not report ridership data. Multiple stations closed during 1948 as well; for example, Exchange station on the Stock Yards branch ceased reporting after 1946, with nearby Racine station beginning its reports in 1948.