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BNSF Line





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This article is about a commuter rail line. For the freight railroad company that owns and operates the line, see BNSF Railway.

The BNSF Line is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF RailwayinChicago and its western suburbs, running from Chicago Union StationtoAurora, Illinois through the Chicago Subdivision. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership (average 64,600) of the 11 Metra lines.[3] While Metra does not refer to its lines by particular colors, the BNSF line's color on Metra timetables is "Cascade Green," in honor of the Burlington Northern Railroad.[4]

BNSF Line
An inbound Metra train arrives in Naperville, pushed by an MP36PH-3S.
Overview
OwnerBNSF Railway (Leased to Metra)
Termini
  • Aurora
    • Stations26
    Service
    TypeCommuter rail
    SystemMetra
    Operator(s)BNSF Railway
    Metra
    Rolling stockEMD F40PH/F40PHM-3 locomotives
    Gallery Cars
    Daily ridership63,000 (average weekday 2018)[1]
    Ridership6,165,657 (2023)
    Technical
    Line length37.5 miles (60.4 km)
    Number of tracks2 (atAurora station)
    3 (elsewhere)
    Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
    Operating speedUp to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h)

    Route map

    Map BNSF Line highlighted in green

    Legend

    		 enlarge… NCS toAntioch

    		enlarge… MD-W toBig Timber Road

    		enlarge… MD-N toFox Lake

    0.0
    		 Union Station Amtrak

    Blue
    14th Street Yard

    		 enlarge… SWS toManhattan

    		enlarge… HC toJoliet

    I-90.svgI-94.svg I-90 / I-94
    1.8 mi
    2.9 km
    		 Halsted Street

    Pink to the Loop
    3.8 mi
    6.1 km
    		 Western Avenue

    Western Avenue Corridor

    Pink to54th/Cermak
    Belt Railway of Chicago
    7.0 mi
    11.3 km
    		 Cicero

    Morton Park
    8.5 mi
    13.7 km
    Clyde
    IC West Line
    9.1 mi
    14.6 km
    		 La Vergne

    9.6 mi
    15.4 km
    		 Berwyn

    10.1 mi
    16.3 km
    		 Harlem Avenue

    11.1 mi
    17.9 km
    		 Riverside

    Des Plaines River
    11.8 mi
    19 km
    		 Hollywood

    Salt Creek
    12.3 mi
    19.8 km
    		 Brookfield

    13.1 mi
    21.1 km
    		 Congress Park

    Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
    13.8 mi
    22.2 km
    		 La Grange Road Amtrak

    14.2 mi
    22.9 km
    		 Stone Avenue

    15.5 mi
    24.9 km
    		 Western Springs

    I-294.svg I-294
    16.4 mi
    26.4 km
    		 Highlands

    16.9 mi
    27.2 km
    		 Hinsdale

    17.8 mi
    28.6 km
    		 West Hinsdale

    18.3 mi
    29.5 km
    		 Clarendon Hills

    19.5 mi
    31.4 km
    		 Westmont

    20.4 mi
    32.8 km
    		 Fairview Avenue

    21.2 mi
    34.1 km
    		 Downers Grove Main Street

    22.6 mi
    36.4 km
    		 Belmont

    I-355.svg I-355
    Saint Joseph Creek
    24.5 mi
    39.4 km
    		 Lisle

    DuPage River (East Branch)
    28.5 mi
    45.9 km
    		 Naperville Amtrak

    DuPage River (West Branch)
    31.6 mi
    50.9 km
    		 Route 59

    EJ&E Railway

    33.4 mi
    53.8 km
    Eola

    Hill Yard
    37.5 mi
    60.4 km
    		 Aurora

    Aurora (CB&Q Depot)
    Amtrak
    Amtrakto
    Emeryville, Quincy,
    and Los Angeles
    Mileage source[2]
    Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible except
    Halsted Street, Western Avenue, and Congress Park.
    This diagram:
  • talk
  • edit

    • As of April 29, 2024, the public timetable shows 91 trains (44 inbound, 47 outbound) on the BNSF Line on weekdays. Of these, 32 inbound trains originate from Aurora, one from Downers Grove Main Street, nine from Fairview Avenue, and two from Brookfield. Five outbound trains terminate at Brookfield, eight at Fairview Avenue, three at Naperville, and the rest at Aurora. Weekend and holiday service consists of 36 trains (18 in each direction), with trains making all stops from Union Station to Aurora, save for a morning and afternoon inbound express train and an afternoon outbound train that run express from Union Station to Downers Grove Main Street.

    Bike cars are available on weekday trains #1212 (leaves 5:29 A.M.,) #1252 (leaves 9:04 A.M.,) and #1284 (leaves 5:04 P.M.) inbound from Aurora, and trains #1217 (leaves 7:33 A.M.,) #1239 (leaves 3:10 P.M.,) and #1283 (leaves 6:50 P.M.) outbound to Aurora.

    Bike cars are available on weekend trains #2002 (leaves 6:20 A.M.) and #2012 (leaves 10:20 A.M.) inbound from Aurora, and trains #2003 (leaves 8:40 A.M.) and #2013 (leaves 2:40 P.M.) outbound to Aurora.

    The line is operated by BNSF under a "purchase of service agreement" with Metra, inherited from Burlington Northern. While Metra owns all rolling stock, the management and crews are BNSF employees. BNSF is the owner of the right-of-way, controls the line and handles dispatching from corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Metra imposes a 70 mph maximum allowed speed for passenger trains. The BNSF Line may be the only Metra commuter line that operates via purchase-of-service agreements as of 2024 due to the Union Pacific Railroad announcing its intentions to transfer the operations and supplying of commuter trains to the Metra system itself for the routes originating from the Ogilvie Transportation Center.

    History

    edit

    The railroad between Chicago and Aurora was constructed in 1864 by the Chicago and Aurora Railroad, which evolved into the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The CB&Q operated the commuter service until the railroad merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1970. Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1995 to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, which would later rename itself to BNSF Railway.

    When the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) began subsidizing Chicago's commuter rail operations in 1974, Burlington Northern continued to operate its line under contract to the RTA. This arrangement continued when the RTA organized its commuter rail lines under the RTA Commuter Rail Division in 1983, later rebranded as Metra in 1985.

    Today, the triple-track line is one of the busiest rail corridors in the United States. In addition to the 91 Metra trains that currently use the line, BNSF freight trains frequent the line at all hours. Amtrak's Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, and Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg use the line as well, making an intermediate stop at Naperville. The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg services also stop at La Grange Road. Rail fans have coined the line as the "BNSF Racetrack".[5]

    The Clyde station at South Austin Boulevard and West 29th Street in Cicero was closed on April 1, 2007 due to low ridership and its dilapidation. In the months before its closure, it was used by about 50 passengers a day.[6]

    Kendall County extension

    edit

    There have been proposals to extend service west into Kendall County, which as of 2020 is outside the RTA's service area. Potential new stations would be built in Montgomery, Oswego, Yorkville, Plano, and Sandwich, Illinois.[7][8] The Plano station would be located over 1 mile west of the CB&Q Depot currently used by Amtrak's Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains.

    Ridership

    edit

    Between 2014 and 2019, annual ridership declined 7% from 16.7 million to 15.5 million passengers.[9][10] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership dropped to 3,659,617 passengers in 2020.[11][12]

    5,000,000

    10,000,000

    15,000,000

    20,000,000

    2014

    2015

    2016

    2017

    2018

    2019

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    Rolling stock

    edit

    The BNSF Line's locomotive fleet consists of the EMD F40PH-3 and the EMD F40PHM-3. Until 2012, some MPI MP36PH-3S locomotives (401-405) also operated on the line; however, they were reassigned to the Milwaukee lines and the North Central Service due to operating difficulties. Passenger cars include Gallery Cars from Pullman (Bike Car), Budd, Morrison-Knudsen/Amerail, and Nippon Sharyo.

    Stations

    edit
    County Zone Location Station Connections and notes
    Cook 1 Chicago Union Station   Amtrak (long-distance): California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle
      Amtrak (intercity): Blue Water, Borealis, Hiawatha, Illini and Saluki, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Lincoln Service, Pere Marquette, Wolverine
      Metra: ■ Milwaukee District North, ■ Milwaukee District West, ■ North Central Service, ■ Heritage Corridor, ■ SouthWest Service
      Chicago "L": Blue (atClinton), Brown Orange Pink Purple (atQuincy)
      CTA Bus: 1, 7, J14, 19, 28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192
      Pace Bus: 755
      Amtrak Thruway: Chicago–Madison and Chicago–Rockford (Van Galder), Chicago–Louisville (Greyhound)
    2 Halsted Street
    		   CTA Bus: 8, 18, N62
    Western Avenue   Chicago "L": Pink (atWestern)
      CTA Bus: 18, 49, X49
    Cicero Cicero   CTA Bus: 35, 54, 54B, 60
    Morton Park Closed between 1938 and 1957
    Clyde Closed April 1, 2007
    Berwyn La Vergne
    (rush only)     		  Pace Bus: 302, 314
    Berwyn   Pace Bus: 302, 311
    Harlem Avenue   Pace Bus: 302, 307
    Riverside Riverside
    Brookfield Hollywood
    Brookfield   Pace Bus: 331
    3 Congress Park
    (rush only)     		  Pace Bus: 302, 331
    La Grange La Grange Road   Amtrak: Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg
      Pace Bus: 302, 330, 331
    Stone Avenue
    (rush only)
    Western Springs Western Springs
    DuPage Hinsdale Highlands
    (rush only)
    Hinsdale
    West Hinsdale
    (rush only)
    Clarendon Hills Clarendon Hills
    Westmont Westmont   Pace Bus: 715
    Downers Grove Fairview Avenue
    4 Downers Grove Main Street   Pace Bus: 834
    Belmont   Grove Commuter Shuttle: West Route
    Lisle Lisle
    Naperville Naperville   Amtrak: California Zephyr, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Southwest Chief
      Pace Bus: 530, 714, 722
      Burlington Trailways: Chicago–Davenport
    Naperville/
    Aurora     		Route 59   Pace Bus: 559
      Greyhound Lines: Chicago–Davenport
      Eola Eola Closed to passengers prior to 1971, closed entirely later
    Kane 4 Aurora Aurora   Pace Bus: 524, 530, 533, 540, 802
      Aurora (CB&Q Depot) Closed 1986

    References

    edit
    1. ^ "Operations and Ridership Data". Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  • ^ State of the System - BNSF
  • ^ "Ridership Reports -System Facts". Metra. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  • ^ "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2010.
  • ^ Mann, Leslie (March 23, 2011). "When that lonesome whistle blows, rail fans know where to line up". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  • ^ Ruzich, Joseph (February 21, 2007). "Cicero's Metra stop to receive makeover". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  • ^ "A step closer on local Metra station". Oswego Ledger-Sentinel. March 12, 2009. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  • ^ Girardi, Linda (November 26, 2019). "Possible Metra extension into Kendall County focus of upcoming meetings". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  • ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2018" (PDF). Metra. p. 4. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  • ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2019" (PDF). Metra. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  • ^ "RIDERSHIP TRENDS ANNUAL REPORT 2020" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  • ^ "RTAMS | Regional Transportation Authority Mapping and Statistics". rtams.org. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
    • edit
    KML file (edit • help)
    Template:Attached KML/BNSF Railway (Metra)
    KML is from Wikidata
     
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Metra BNSF Railway Line.

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BNSF_Line&oldid=1233074794"
      



    Last edited on 7 July 2024, at 04:09  





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