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| Station statistics | |||||||||||
| Address | 4620 North Broadway Chicago, Illinois 60640 |
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| Lines | |||||||||||
| Structure | Elevated | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 island platform 1 auxiliary side platform |
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| Tracks | 4 | ||||||||||
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| Opened | May 31, 1900 | ||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1907, 1923 | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Chicago Transit Authority | ||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||
| Passengers (2010) | 1,920,234[1] 7.9% | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Wilson is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line, part of the Chicago 'L' metro system. It is located in the Uptown neighborhood at 4620 North Broadway in Chicago, Illinois (directional coordinates 4600 north, 1100 west). It is the closest station to Harry S Truman College. The station has a large central island platform serving the Red Line. There are also platforms on the outside tracks that once served Evanston Express trains (as well as local trains before a middle platform was created), but these are no longer used as Purple Line Express trains pass through the station without stopping. Despite not being in revenue use, the southbound auxiliary platform is kept in operational condition and sees occasional service during reroutes, charters, and other unusual operations.
The station opened on May 31, 1900, as the northern terminus of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad.[2] It was converted to a two level station in 1907, with a loop track to aid turning trains. Wilson became a through station in 1908 when the Northwestern Elevated Railroad was extended to Evanston (using tracks belonging to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway). The current station building was built in 1923, shortly after the tracks to the north were elevated. Over the years the station has been extensively reconfigured: the lower level was closed on August 1, 1949;[3] the platforms were reconfigured in 1960; and the North Shore Line—which also used the station—ceased operation in 1963, enabling the station layout to be simplified. The CTA's 2004–2008 Capital Improvement Plan includes plans to reconstruct the station starting in 2008.
A yard and shops were built adjacent to the station in 1901, these continued in use until the Howard Yard was expanded in 1993. The shop building was badly damaged in a fire on October 26, 1996, and the site was cleared soon after. This site remained empty for several years with plans for development in place. As of 2011, an Aldi store, a Target store, and residences now occupy this area.
An elevated stub line from the station is a remnant of a connection into the former Buena Interchange Yard, where freight was exchanged with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. The CTA stopped carrying freight in the early 1970s and the stub was demolished south of Montrose Avenue. The Lakewood Avenue branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway is now operated by the Soo Line Railroad, but no longer exists north of Diversey Avenue. In 2010 further demolition split the remaining stub into two sections to allow for new Truman College construction.