South Side main line (CTA)

South Side main line
The Green Line passes over the McCormick Tribune Campus Center
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago 'L'
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Termini	Roosevelt Garfield
Stations	7 (11 counting branch divisions)
Services	Green Line
Daily ridership	12,509 (average weekday Feb. 2013)
Operation
Opening	June 6, 1892
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority (1947–present) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924–1947) South Side Elevated Railroad (1892–1924)
Character	Elevated
Rolling stock	5000-series
Technical
Line length	6.5 mi (10.5 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Legend Loop Congress | Congress State Street Subway to North Side Main Line Roosevelt 13th Street Incline State Street Subway to Dan Ryan branch St. Charles Air Line 17th Junction to Midway branch and Dan Ryan branch 18th Cermak–McCormick Place 26th 29th 31st MTCC tube 33rd 35th–Bronzeville–IIT Pershing Chicago Junction Railway Stock Yards branch to Union Stock Yards Indiana Kenwood branch to 42nd Place 43rd 47th 51st Garfield 58th 59th Junction Englewood branch to Ashland/63rd Jackson Park branch to Cottage Grove

The South Side main line, also known as the South Side Elevated, is a branch in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It is an active branch that is only served by the Green Line, with the exception of Roosevelt, which is also served by the Orange Line. It has on average 12,509 passengers, counting branch divisions, boarding each weekday as of February 2013, according to the CTA.^[1] The branch is 6.5 miles (10.5 km)^[2] long with a total of 7 stations (11 counting the Englewood–Jackson Park branches), and runs from the Loop (Van Buren Street) to the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago. The branch runs from 4am-1am on weekdays, 5:15am-1am on Saturdays and 5:50am-1am on Sundays/Holidays.

Route

The South Side Elevated serves the Near South Side, Douglas Bronzeville, Grand Boulevard, and Washington Park neighborhoods of Chicago and has stops near the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago.

The South Side Elevated continues to the Englewood branch (Ashland/63rd) and the Jackson Park branch (Cottage Grove).

History

The South Side elevated started passenger service on June 6, 1892, with service as far south as 39th Street (Pershing Road), making the branch the oldest section of the Chicago 'L'. On January 22, 1893, service on the line was extended as far south as 61st Street. The Jackson Park branch was added later in 1893 to serve the site of the 1893 World's Fair. Several other lines were grafted in over time to serve parts of the city, though most have since been demolished. The Englewood branch was opened in 1905, followed by the Kenwood and Normal Park branches in 1907, and the Stock Yards branch in 1908. Today, only the Englewood and Jackson Park branches remain.

In 1993, the Green Line was created when the CTA color-coded the lines. In 1994, the 58th Street station was closed while remaining stations were renovated or rebuilt entirely depending on their condition. In February 2012, the platform of the 58th street station was completely demolished.

Future stop at Cermak

On January 17, 2012, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel announced at a press conference that the Cermak station will be rebuilt in order to serve McCormick Place. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013, with completion in July 2014.^[3][4]

Station listing

South Side Elevated
Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
Congress Terminal	550 S. Holden Court	Closed October 18, 1897, reopened March 10, 1902. Closed August 1, 1949.
Congress/Wabash	500 S. Wabash Avenue	Closed August 1, 1949
Roosevelt	22 E. Roosevelt Road	Transfer to Red and Orange Line trains, Museum Campus/11th Street (Metra station), Museum Campus, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Soldier Field Originally called 12th Street
18th	18th Street and Wabash Avenue	Closed August 1, 1949
Cermak–McCormick Place	12 E. Cermak Road	McCormick Place, Motor Row District Originally called 22nd Street
26th	26th Street and Wabash Avenue	Closed August 1, 1949
29th	29th Street and Wabash Avenue	Closed August 1, 1949
31st	31st Street near State Street	Closed August 1, 1949
33rd	33rd Street and Wabash Avenue	Closed September 25, 1961
35th–Bronzeville–IIT	16 E. 35th Street	Illinois Institute of Technology, Shimer College, De La Salle Institute, Chicago Police Headquarters, Douglas Tomb State Memorial, Pilgrim Baptist Church, Victory Sculpture, Chicago Defender Building, Eighth Regiment Armory (Chicago), Black Metropolis-Bronzeville District, Bronzeville
Pershing	Pershing Road and State Street	Closed August 1, 1949 Originally called 39th street
Indiana	4003 S. Indiana Avenue	Wendell Phillips Academy High School, South Side Community Art Center, Former terminal for Stock Yards and Kenwood Lines
43rd	314 E. 43rd Street
47th	314 E. 47th Street	Harold Washington Cultural Center, Robert S. Abbott House
51st	319 E. 51st Street	Provident Hospital of Cook County, KAM Isaiah Israel, Kenwood Academy, Barack Obama House
Garfield	320 E. Garfield Boulevard	Museum of Science and Industry, Washington Park, University of Chicago, DuSable Museum of African American History, Historic Garfield Station Entrance, Transfer between Ashland and Cottage Grove bound trains Originally called 55th Street
58th	320/324 E. 58th Street	Closed January 9, 1994

Image gallery

• 

  Railcar #1 is one of the oldest trains from the South Side Elevated Railroad

• 

  An Orange Line train (behind the turning train) at the northern end of the South Side Elevated branch

• 

  The Cottage Grove station is the terminus of the Jackson Park branch

• 

  A CTA monument overlooking the Ashland/63rd terminal

See also

• South Side Elevated Railroad

External links

• Green Line: South Side Elevated at Chicago-L.org

References