Western Avenue station (Milwaukee District)
| Company type | Commuter rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1900 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Passenger rail service |
| Owner | Metra |
Western Avenue is a railroad station under the ownership of Metra, situated within Chicago's West Town neighborhood, close to Western Avenue. It lies at a distance of from Union Station, which serves as the inbound terminus.
The station functions as a stop on the Milwaukee District West Line, North Central Service, and Milwaukee District North Line, representing the final inbound station before reaching Union Station. While it is not an official stop for Amtrak, trains such as the Hiawatha, Borealis, and Empire Builder pass through this location. Historically, the station was part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad network. In proximity are the California Coach Yard and Western Avenue Rail Yard, which house Metra’s remaining fleet of EMD F40C locomotives. Just southeast of the platforms, a diamond junction links Milwaukee Road Metra lines with the Union Pacific West Line tracks headed toward Ogilvie Transportation Center. These parallel tracks run together for approximately one mile before diverging, with operations at this junction controlled by the A-2 tower.
Service
In 2018, Western Avenue was ranked 61st in terms of ridership among Metra's 236 stations outside of downtown Chicago, with an average weekday boarding figure of 836 passengers.
The station accommodates 117 Metra trains during weekdays, along with 44 trains on Saturdays and 36 on Sundays and holidays. This service includes all inbound trains across three lines and nearly all outbound trains; the only exception is a single outbound Milwaukee District North Line train on weekdays that does not stop here.
Bus connections
- 49 Western (Owl Service)
- X49 Western Express (available only during weekday peak hours)
- 65 Grand