Wells Street Terminal
| Company type | Transit terminal |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1904 in Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Defunct | 1953 |
| Fate | Demolished |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Downtown Chicago |
Wells Street Terminal functioned as a stub-end downtown terminal for the 'L' system in Chicago, Illinois, situated on Wells Street between Jackson Boulevard and Van Buren Street. It was operational from 1904 until 1953.
History
Initially called the Fifth Avenue Terminal, this facility was constructed in 1904 by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad to manage elevated train traffic during peak hours. Due to capacity limits on the Loop 'L' tracks during busy periods, the Metropolitan diverted some train services to Wells Street Terminal rather than routing all through the Loop. Its location adjacent to the Loop tracks on Wells Street enabled a transfer bridge connection to the Quincy Street station.
The terminal served several branches of the Metropolitan, including the Garfield Park, Douglas Park, Logan Square, and Humboldt Park lines—early versions of today’s Blue and Pink Line. In 1905, it also became the exclusive downtown terminal for the Aurora Elgin and Chicago Railway interurban trains, which bypassed the Loop entirely.
Wells Street Terminal featured four stub-end tracks alongside two island platforms; by 1907, it handled over 100 trains during rush hours each day.
The introduction of the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway in 1951 redirected Logan Square trains into the subway system, effectively ending most 'L' services at Wells Street Terminal. Following CTA’s postwar acquisition of operations, service cuts commenced: in 1948, Humboldt Park branch trains only stopped at Wells during rush hours, while Logan Square trains were rerouted through the Loop. By February 1951, all Milwaukee (Logan Square) trains had transitioned into the subway, with Humboldt Park service downgraded to a shuttle. In December 1951, Garfield and Douglas branch services were discontinued at Wells, terminating all 'L' operations there.
The Chicago Aurora and Elgin continued utilizing Wells until construction plans for the Congress Street Expressway necessitated demolition of the Garfield Park 'L'. Although a new rapid transit line was proposed within the expressway median to connect with the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, various operational and political obstacles resulted in relocating the interurban terminal to Forest Park in 1953. At that point, passengers transferred between interurban and CTA services at Forest Park.
Wells Street Terminal ceased operations on September 20, 1953, and was demolished two years later in 1955. Two terminal tracks remained temporarily linked to the Loop until June 22, 1958, when the Congress rapid transit line opened alongside completion of the expressway. The final connecting tracks were removed by 1964.