79th Street (Chatham) station

79th Street
Chatham
General information
Location79th Street between Greenwood Avenue & Woodlawn Avenue
Chatham, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°45′03″N 87°35′50″W / 41.7507°N 87.5972°W / 41.7507; -87.5972
Owned byMetra
Line(s)University Park Sub District
Platforms1 Island platform
Tracks4
ConnectionsCTA Bus
Construction
AccessibleNo
Other information
Fare zone2
History
Closed2023 (for reconstruction)
Rebuilt2023-2024 (Ongoing)
ElectrifiedOverhead line1,500 V DC
Passengers
201850 (average weekday)[1]Decrease 15.3%
Rank212 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station
83rd Street (Avalon Park) Metra Electric
Main Line & Blue Island Branch
75th Street (Grand Crossing)
Former services
Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station
83rd Street Electric Suburban
Main Line & Blue Island Branch
75th Street
Location
Map

79th Street (Chatham) is an electrified commuter rail station along the Metra Electric Main Line in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is located at and over 79th Street, and is 9.9 miles (15.9 km) away from the northern terminus at Millennium Station.[2] In Metra's zone-based fare system, 79th Street is in zone 2. As of 2018, the station is the 212th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 50 weekday boardings.[1]

East of this station is another Metra Electric station along 79th Street (known as Cheltenham) along the South Chicago Branch. Like much of the main branch of the Metra Electric line, 79th Street-Chatham is built on elevated tracks near the embankment of a bridge over 79th Street. This bridge also carries the Amtrak line that runs parallel to it, carrying the City of New Orleans and Illini and Saluki trains. Parking is available only on the southwest corner of 79th Street and Woodlawn Avenue.

History

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On July 10, 2023, the station was temporarily closed to the public for reconstruction. The project, which will update the station and make the platform ADA-Accessible, is expected to take seven months.[3][4]

The former Nickel Plate Railroad passed on a long bridge over the Illinois Central (the current tracks) just north of the station.[citation needed]

Bus connections

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CTA

  • 79 79th (Owl Service)

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Metra Railfan Tips - Metra Electric".(registration required)
  3. ^ McIntyre, Cory (22 June 2023). "Metra Electric line breaking ground on renovation at three stations - CBS Chicago". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. ^ McLawhorn, Jennifer (26 June 2023). "Metra Will Begin Project Work on Three Electric Stations in July". Railway Track and Structures. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
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