Western station (CTA Blue Line Forest Park branch)

Track layout
	Legend

Western

2400W
430S
Western 2400W; 430S
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
General information
Location	430 South Western Avenue; Chicago, Illinois 60612
Coordinates	41°52′32″N 87°41′18″W / 41.875478°N 87.688436°W
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line(s)	Forest Park Branch
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Expressway median
Bicycle facilities	Yes
History
Opened	June 22, 1958; 66 years ago
Passengers
2022	237,176 23.8%
Services
Former services
as an elevated station (pre-1953)
Track layout
Track layout
	Legend
Location
Location

Western is a station on the 'L' system, serving the Blue Line's Forest Park branch. It is located in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway. It serves the Near West Side neighborhood and Crane Tech High School. The station is also located about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the Western Avenue (Metra BNSF Railway Line) commuter railroad station.

History

Elevated station

The original Western station opened in 1895 along with numerous stations on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated lines. When skip-stop service was implemented on the Garfield Park branch in 1951, Western station was designated an A station (only A trains would stop at this station).^[2] In 1953, the elevated station was closed in favor of temporary tracks running along Van Buren Street. The temporary tracks were built to accommodate the construction of the Congress Expressway and an expressway-median branch.^[3]

Expressway-median station

The expressway-median station opened on June 22, 1958. During the time when the CTA utilized skip-stop services, the station was designated as an A station, much like its elevated predecessor. This time, however, all stations on the Congress branch west of Racine station were A stations; B trains would run along the Douglas branch (part of today's Pink Line).^[4]^[5]

Bus connections

CTA

7 Harrison (Weekdays only)
49 Western (Owl Service)
X49 Western Express (Weekday Rush Hours only)

References

^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
^ "CTA revises Garfield, Douglas, institutes A-B service". Chicago Tribune. 1 December 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
^ "Chicago L.org: Stations - Western". www.chicago-l.org. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
^ Chicago Transit Authority System Map (Map). Chicago Transit Authority. March 1991. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
^ "Chicago L.org: Stations - Western". www.chicago-l.org. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

External links

Western (Congress Line) Station Page Chicago-L.Org
Western Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View

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[1] "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.

[2] "CTA revises Garfield, Douglas, institutes A-B service". Chicago Tribune. 1 December 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

[3] "Chicago L.org: Stations - Western". www.chicago-l.org. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

[4] Chicago Transit Authority System Map (Map). Chicago Transit Authority. March 1991. Retrieved 29 November 2023.

[5] "Chicago L.org: Stations - Western". www.chicago-l.org. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

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