Western station (CTA Blue Line O'Hare branch)
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Rapid transit services |
Western station is an elevated rapid transit stop on the Chicago "L" Blue Line, situated along the O'Hare branch within the Bucktown area of the Logan Square community. Established in 1895, the station consists of two side platforms at track level and a street-level station house.
Originally built by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad for its Logan Square branch, Western's management was transferred to the private Chicago Rapid Transit Company in 1924, and subsequently to the public Chicago Transit Authority in 1948. During the 1950s, significant restructuring of the Metropolitan lines led to the formation of the "West-Northwest Route" in 1958, which was rebranded as the Blue Line in 1992. The Logan Square branch, later known as the "Milwaukee branch," was extended to reach O'Hare International Airport in 1984, creating what is now recognized as the O'Hare branch.
The station underwent major renovations in 1930 and again between 2000 and 2001, maintaining important historic features while integrating contemporary improvements.
History
On April 7, 1892, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company secured a 50-year franchise from the Chicago City Council and promptly began acquiring rights of way. Its system featured a main line extending westward from downtown to Marshfield, where three branches diverged: one heading northwest to Logan Square, another due west toward Garfield Park, and a third southwest to Douglas Park. Additionally, a branch to Humboldt Park extended westward from the Logan Square branch near Robey Street. Service commenced on May 6, 1895, operating between Robey on the Logan Square branch and Canal on the main line; by May 25, the Logan Square branch reached Logan Square station with an intermediate stop at Western Avenue.
Initially run by the West Side Construction Company—the entity responsible for building the lines—operations were transferred to the Metropolitan on October 6, 1896. Although both companies had overlapping investors and leadership, financial difficulties led to Metropolitan entering receivership in 1897. In response, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railway Company was established in January 1899 and assumed control in February. By 1911, it became part of the Chicago Elevated Railways (CER) trust, which unified management and introduced free transfers while keeping companies legally separate until their consolidation into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT) in 1924; thereafter, the former Metropolitan lines operated as CRT's Metropolitan division. Public ownership commenced under the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 1947.
Starting in the late 1930s, CTA initiated major modifications to former Metropolitan routes. The segment of the Logan Square branch south of Damen was replaced by the new Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, which opened on February 25, 1951. This change relegated the Humboldt Park branch to shuttle status before it was ultimately closed in May 1952. The main line along with Garfield Park branch were supplanted by the Congress Line in 1958, resulting in creation of the "West-Northwest Route," which began operations on June 22, 1958, and was renamed as the Blue Line in 1992. When skip-stop service was introduced alongside subway operations, Western Avenue was classified as a "B" station.
The Logan Square branch—referred to by CTA as the "Milwaukee branch"—was progressively extended beyond Logan Square: first reaching Jefferson Park in February 1970, then River Road in 1983, and ultimately arriving at O'Hare International Airport on September 3, 1984, thereby establishing what is known today as the O'Hare branch.
Station reconstructions and renovations
During the early 1930s, the widening of Western Avenue necessitated altering the station house front, leading to the creation of a new facade. Transit architect Arthur U. Gerber designed this facade in an Art Deco aesthetic, featuring tan terra cotta tiles and green signage that read "L - RAPID TRANSIT - L." This updated frontage was completed by 1935.
By 1985, Western and several nearby stations were recognized as some of the most deteriorated on the "L" system. Although the CTA had planned a renovation with a target completion date of 1988 and produced conceptual designs in the early 1990s, no actual construction took place at that time. Renovation work eventually commenced in June 2000 and concluded by November 2001. The Art Deco facade, which qualified for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the original northern wall from 1895, were retained; however, the remainder of the station house, platforms, and canopies were demolished. The project introduced broader wooden platforms and a full-length canopy featuring central skylights. The redesigned station building offered a larger interior facing a new southern plaza and incorporated elevators to improve accessibility.
On December 5, 2013, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn unveiled "Your New Blue," a $429 million extensive upgrade initiative targeting the O'Hare branch and Dearborn Street Subway segments of the Blue Line. Under this program, Western station received multiple enhancements including an art installation called "Remnants | Restos," improvements to the station house itself, secure facilities for bicycle parking, a new canopy over the sidewalk, LED lighting to illuminate the historic facade, as well as replacement of roofing materials, handrails, and guardrails on both north and south stairways.
Infrastructure and facilities
Since the 1930s, the station house has prominently exhibited Art Deco architectural elements.
Operations
In its early years during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the "L" fare was legally fixed at five cents—a nickel—equivalent to approximately five cents in 2021 currency. A temporary increase raised fares to six cents in 1917 before settling at ten cents by 1920. Beginning in 1922, fare promotions offered three rides for twenty-five cents (about 8.3 cents per trip), although single rides remained priced at ten cents. That same year marked the introduction of one of the nation’s first weekly passes at $1.25 for service areas excluding Evanston and Wilmette.
As of 2022, full fares are set at $2.25; reduced fares are available for $1.25, with student tickets priced at seventy-five cents. Available fare options include a seven-day pass costing $20 and a thirty-day pass priced at $75.
Unlike other elevated railroads that issued tickets, the Metropolitan Railroad collected fares directly through station agents who manually recorded payments—a practice later adopted widely across transit systems. Initially, agents staffed stations around-the-clock; however, from 1931 to 1937 conductors collected fares onboard during nighttime and off-peak hours on some branches. This onboard collection resumed on the Milwaukee branch from 1950 until it ended in 1995.
While some competing lines occasionally offered smoking cars, all Metropolitan motor cars originally allowed smoking. Nevertheless, during the 1918 influenza epidemic, city regulations banned smoking throughout all "L" facilities and streetcars—a restriction that continues to be enforced today.
Connections
On August 19, 1906, streetcars took over from cable cars along Milwaukee Avenue between Lawrence and the downtown area. The line extended from Lawrence to Imlay near the Forest Preserve on December 11, 1914, with continuous through-routing commencing October 1, 1927. While Chicago streetcars typically operated as single units, two-car multiple-unit control trains ran on Milwaukee Avenue between March 2, 1925, and May 5, 1929. By 1928, night service was available from 1:05 to 5:35 a.m., with vehicles arriving every 15 minutes up to Devon Avenue and every half hour to Gale Street; daytime headways varied between eight and fifteen minutes. Weekend streetcar service was replaced by buses beginning October 28, 1951, with complete substitution by May 11, 1952.
The Western Avenue streetcar line was through-routed between Roscoe and 71st Street starting September 5, 1911, then extended northward to Lawrence Avenue by October 28, 1912. It was integrated into "Through Route 10" (TR 10) reaching Howard Avenue as of May 1, 1923. By 1928, TR 10 operated owl service from 1:00 to 4:30 a.m., with vehicles running every thirty minutes during those hours. The southern extension reached as far as 111th Street on November 8, 1931. Streetcars were replaced by buses on outer sections from August 1, 1948; weekend service in central areas ended December 7, 1952; and full bus conversion occurred by June 17, 1956. The route transitioned from two-person crews before June 19, 1955, to single-operator service after that date.
Armitage Avenue also featured a streetcar route serving the station. Initially operating as a shuttle to Milwaukee Avenue before 1906, it evolved into a through-route connecting Kostner Street and the downtown district via Milwaukee Avenue. Extensions reached Cicero Avenue in 1912 and Grand Avenue on August 15, 1914. A separate Armitage route east of the Chicago River, originating near the station at Campbell, began service on June 19, 1914. One-man operation started on this eastern route April 1, 1923; service was extended to Grand Avenue on February 2, 1925. The western route functioned as a branch of Milwaukee Avenue’s line sharing equipment, crews, barns, and transfer privileges. In 1928, the east route offered owl service from approximately 1:08 to 5:00 a.m. with fifteen-minute frequencies; meanwhile, the west route did not provide overnight service—the last downtown car departed at midnight—and relied on the east route for night coverage. To reduce expenses, downtown west route service was suspended on Sundays beginning May 1, 1932. Streetcars east of the River were replaced by buses on February 26, 1951; complete conversion followed by June 24, 1951.
Bus connections
- 49 Western (Owl Service)
- X49 Western Express (Weekday Rush Hours only)
- 56 Milwaukee
- 73 Armitage