west point
Engineer
At one time that yard was reported as not used for active work but just car storage. Is that still the case?
Chicago Union Station discussion
- Thread starter Chicago1990
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TransitTyrant
Lead Service Attendant
Yes the yards last daily intermodal train was switched to Global 2 at least 4 years ago. With global 1 operations ending there’s almost no chance UP will ever use the yard again.
grover5995
Train Attendant
There is a CTA Blue Line station just south of CUS on ******* Street. In addition, there is direct service beween CUS and O'Hare on the METRA North Central Line but it only operates during rush hour.
The question was asked a year ago, but for the record:
******* is an underground station, and there is neither escalator nor elevator from street to mezzanine. There is an escalator from mezzanine to platform.
The nearest accessible Blue Line station is Jackson, with elevators, on Dearborn between Jackson & Adams St., about 0.6 mi. east of CUS.
The Reverse: From O'Hare to Union Station cost $5 - 18 or so stops - takes about 40 minutes - arriving at the
******* Street stop - there is the dreaded Hollywood "B" movie of 39 steps from the Blue Line chamber of
handicap horrors to the street surface. Then the 2 block walk to US and again depending on the entrance
more stairs to negotiate to the Great Hall the Metropolitan Lounge and down short ramps to the tracks.
Would presume that the trip from US to O'Hare would be the same in reverse.
This is not good with respect to be taking the plane to the train or the reverse - - -
The other airport option Midway using the Orange line is not much better although for those with mobility
concerns there are elevators (when working) then a taxi ride or walk about 4 blocks crossing the river to US.
This is doable for able body folks - reference Google Maps and the Metro schedule work it out - using
either the Blue or Orange trains is the least expensive method to go between the airports and US.
D
both about 3 or 4 blocks away - for the snacks and liquor - CVS near the Metra station
and Walgreens just across the river.
Depending the amount of connection time - check out where Walgreens or CVS are at -
both about 3 or 4 blocks away - for the snacks and liquor - CVS near the Metra station
and Walgreens just across the river.
There's a connection between the Blue Line and the Orange Line at Clark/Lake that would allow a traveler from O'Hare to ride the Orange line around the Loop to Quincy, which is just a couple of blocks from the station. There are escalators and elevators inside the faregates at Clark/Lake that allow one to make the connection from the underground Blue Line to the elevated Orange Line. There's also an elevator at Quincy that will get you back down to the street.
Actually the Orange would work to go from Quincy to Clark/Lake but not the other way. The Pink line (or Purple line when it is running) would work to ride around the loop from Clark/Lake to Quincy. Unfortunately you have to go the long way around, as no lines go counter clockwise all the way around (Brown branches off at Lake and Wells)
NW cannonball
Conductor
The Blue Line from O'Hare to CUS has worked well for me, but I'm a (mostly) able-bodied 75-year-old.
Last trip late November MSP-SanAntoine I took a Greyhound to MKE and tranferred to the Hiawatha at MKE (where the vending machines take one's, twos, and fives)
Because I didn't wanna do the up-and-down stairs in the Loop (And because my kid was mugged near the Greyhound station in the Loop a few years ago) . CUS was good, the TEagle was full, San Antoine was fine, and the rest of the trip was ok, TUS, FLG-LAX then (airplane) to SEA and back to MSP.
It's been 30 years since I've flown into MDW. no clue about the el trains from there.
I believe the Orange Line runs to/from Midway.
The Orange Line does run from Midway airport to the lake side loop of downtown Chicago.
Runs about every 25 minutes or so.
LINK Metro Rail: Chicago Transit Authority - CTA Buses & Train Service - 1-888-YOUR-CTA - CTA
LINK: Orange Line: Web-based downtown map - CTA
Orange Line exit/board the train at Quincy -
a half a block either way to Adams or Jackson -
then 3-4 blocks crossing the Chicago river to Union Station
See Map for reference - - -
Note how the Blue line intersects with Orange line in that square loop pattern
It is a bit confusing to get from the airport baggage claim to the Orange Line - there is signage.
No hurry unless time is real critical - miss a train - no big deal - another one is waiting just as
you miss the one departing.
Draw back is Midway airport is for domestic travel - short haul flights.
O'Hare is the international non stop long distance airport.
Do this twice or three times and you will have it down pat - that is unless the line is down
for maintenance or someone unauthorized blew the train horn and it jumped the track - LOL !
JamesWhitcombRiley
Lead Service Attendant
Regarding O'Hare, this video discusses the L vs. Metra, and future plans. It's one of his better ones, pointing out that the L is loud, and showing where the Metra tracks diverge, and how there may be a future a shortcut through a parking garage at the airport for Metra riders. All-day frequency of course is needed.
Here's an Amtrak news release with a QR code to access a survey seeking public input on renovations to the concourse at CUS. The survey isn't very sophisticated so I am hard pressed to believe the resuts will be insightful, but your chance to weigh in!
Metra Electric Rider
Engineer
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Survey also available here: Information
NorthShore
Conductor
As always, I recommend the latter route, with such a simple (and frequent in most hours) bus connection to/from Union Station along Jackson (east to Blue/Red Lines at Jackson/Dearborn/State and Loop trains Orange/Pink/Purple/Brown at Quincy/Wells) as well as west to Union Station on Adams in reverse (there's a bus stop at Canal just across the street from CUS.) The only connection which might be mildly inconvenient is to the Green Line, as that requires transfering at Clark/Lake or another station in the Loop unless you want to drag luggage up/down a lot of stairs at Adams/Wabash. To boot, taking the bus on Jackson first saves you a quarter, even with the transfer to an L after. You can easily go up an escalator to the food court level then up the escalator out to Jackson and the river so conveniently that this is a no brainer. The buses stop right across the street.
Coming from west central Illinois, at times we take to train into Chicago to get to/from the airport. Last November when we did this, it was a mess and and a hassle getting into Union Station with the construction that is going on. Our Uber driver dropped us off far from an entrance and it was a challenge navigating with large luggage. It was made worst in that my wife has recently lost her peripheral vision. I will probably avoid Uber for the time being and use a taxi in the hope that the driver knows what he is doing. With this in mind I have some questions.
According to the current Union Station Map, the taxi rank is now on Jackson, Ride Share is on Adams, and the temporary main entrance on *******.
Where at the station do taxis currently drop off?
Does the entrance on ******* involve stairs and is it easy to access with large rolling luggage? (I have not been thru this entrance before.)
With my wife’s compromised eyesight, I am considering using a Red Cap to get to the platform. It there a place where we wait for Red Cap service? Not sure how this works.
We have some upcoming international travel and have a few options getting to/from O’hare. In the past taking the train has worked well and is cost effective. If the hassle factors remain high at Union Station, we may use other options. I welcome your insights and suggestions.
TIA
According to the current Union Station Map, the taxi rank is now on Jackson, Ride Share is on Adams, and the temporary main entrance on *******.
Where at the station do taxis currently drop off?
Does the entrance on ******* involve stairs and is it easy to access with large rolling luggage? (I have not been thru this entrance before.)
With my wife’s compromised eyesight, I am considering using a Red Cap to get to the platform. It there a place where we wait for Red Cap service? Not sure how this works.
We have some upcoming international travel and have a few options getting to/from O’hare. In the past taking the train has worked well and is cost effective. If the hassle factors remain high at Union Station, we may use other options. I welcome your insights and suggestions.
TIA
A handful of stairs down from street level to station level, and no ramp, but there's an elevator off to your left as you come in from the street. Whether it's worth bumping a rolly-bag down a few steps not to wait for a very short elevator ride is up to each traveler.
There's an entrance at ******* and Jackson that has a ramp. Is it closed due to renovations?
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.878...f0sFhw6y9CgIdSxA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
I forgot about the old entrances at *******/Adams and *******/Jackson! I don't *think* either is closed. I was referring only to the new entrance in the middle of the block on ******* where I understand the Harvey House used to be.
That ramp entrance is open for business. If they are getting a taxi and drop off on ******* at the Jackson intersection there are no steps to get to the great hall that way.
@Tldmat - once you are in the great hall just look for the 'to trains' sign. If you go that way a few steps you will find Red Caps there by the lounge entrance.
@Tldmat - once you are in the great hall just look for the 'to trains' sign. If you go that way a few steps you will find Red Caps there by the lounge entrance.
Paul CHI
Service Attendant
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We took the Pere Marquette to/from HOM this week.
1. Departure moved everybody to the south boarding area, where everyone had to stand in line for 30 minutes because of a crew problem. Train left 10 minutes late and lost another 10 later because of a faulty signal north of Bangor. Got to HOM nearly 11PM - glad we weren't going the extra hour to GRR.
2. Return at 645AM went well, though we had a 10 minute delay getting into CUS. We've used CUS many times but the construction signage/obstruction was so bad that we couldn't find our way out to the CTA. We usually get home in 20 minutes by bus but it took us an hour.
User hostile experience. Good thing it's cheap.
1. Departure moved everybody to the south boarding area, where everyone had to stand in line for 30 minutes because of a crew problem. Train left 10 minutes late and lost another 10 later because of a faulty signal north of Bangor. Got to HOM nearly 11PM - glad we weren't going the extra hour to GRR.
2. Return at 645AM went well, though we had a 10 minute delay getting into CUS. We've used CUS many times but the construction signage/obstruction was so bad that we couldn't find our way out to the CTA. We usually get home in 20 minutes by bus but it took us an hour.
User hostile experience. Good thing it's cheap.
Hi all, I am new here so please let me know if this is the wrong place to post.
In a few weeks I will be going on my very first Amtrak. I have already been a little apprehensive, but that has since amplified after receiving an email from Amtrak stating that the station I will be departing from will be closed on my date of travel.
The email reads that as the station will be closed, I would need to just walk to the platform for departure.
The thing is, I'll be at the Chicago Union Station, which I've learned is apparently a pretty big station in which there is a North side and a South side, each with their own sets of tracks. How will I know which side to go to? Or even how to get to the platform? How would I know which tracks to go to? And where would I wait for my train?
I'm sorry if these questions seem a little dumb; I'm just very nervous and just don't want to miss my ride home.
In a few weeks I will be going on my very first Amtrak. I have already been a little apprehensive, but that has since amplified after receiving an email from Amtrak stating that the station I will be departing from will be closed on my date of travel.
The email reads that as the station will be closed, I would need to just walk to the platform for departure.
The thing is, I'll be at the Chicago Union Station, which I've learned is apparently a pretty big station in which there is a North side and a South side, each with their own sets of tracks. How will I know which side to go to? Or even how to get to the platform? How would I know which tracks to go to? And where would I wait for my train?
I'm sorry if these questions seem a little dumb; I'm just very nervous and just don't want to miss my ride home.
What train are you riding? Most trains depart from the south side. Only the Empire Builder and the trains to Milwaukee leave from the north side. Around 30 minutes the track numbers are announced and posted on big signs near the entrance to the platform.
Something doesn't jibe here.
To get to the Platforms @ Union Station in Chicago you have to go inside the Station.( which as you say is Large and very busy most of the time with Commuters and Amtrak Passengers)
I suggest that you call Amtrak ( be prepared for a wait) and get clarification on this vague message!
If you have sleeper accommodations leaving Chicago, or same day connection, you can wait in the Metropolitan Lounge....
