Central Station (Chicago terminal)

Central Station, located at the southern end of Grant Park at 11th Place and Michigan Avenue, was one of the six intercity train stations serving Chicago, Illinois during the heyday of rail in the twentieth century. Additionally, the terminal was also used as a passenger depot for commuter traffic although the Van Buren Street and Randolph Street commuter stations located to the north were preferred by commuters due to their closer location to downtown Chicago destinations.

The Romanesque structure, designed by Bradford L. Gilbert and build by the Illinois Central Railroad, opened April 17, 1893 to meet the traffic demands of the World Columbian Exposition. The nine story building featured a thirteen-story clock tower and also housed the general offices of the railroad. It also boasted the largest trainshed in the world at the time, which measured 140 by 610 feet.

The station was closed on March 6, 1972 when Amtrak diverted the last remaining trains as part of its consolidation all of Chicago's intercity operations at Union Station. In late 1973, the Illinois Central relocated its general offices to the newly constructed Illinois Center. Central Station and its trainshed were demolished in 1974; only the commuter platforms remain today under the name Roosevelt Road Station serving the Museum Campus and the Near South Side.

Central Station served as passenger depot terminus for the following lines and intercity trains:

Illinois Central Railroad - City of New Orleans and Panama Limited to New Orleans, Diamond Special from St. Louis and City of Miami to Miami.
Michigan Central Railroad - North Shore Limited to New York, Motor City Special to Detroit and Niagara.
New York Central Big Four Railroad - James Whitcomb Riley to Cincinnati, Carolina Special to Asheville, Charlotte, and Charleston, and Royal Palm and Ponce de Leon trains to Georgia and Florida.

Although the actual terminus for the commuter rail was Randolph Street Station approximately 2 mi. to the north of Central Station, the following commuter electric rail services also operated through the station:

Illinois Central - operated electric trains from Central Station serving mostly local stops within Chicago's south side to three branch end points: 93rd Street in Chicago, Blue Island and University Park.
Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad - operated interurban electric trains from Central Station to South Bend, Indiana.

Today, the former Illinois Central commuter electric is operated by the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation and the former South Shore interurban electric is operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

See also