Cermak branch

Cermak branch
The non-revenue junction between the Cermak and Congress branch that used to serve Blue Line trains.
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago, Illinois, United States Cicero, Illinois
Termini	54th/Cermak Polk
Stations	11
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago "L"
Services	Pink
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority
Rolling stock	5000-series
Daily ridership	17,474 (average weekday Feb. 2013)
History
Opened	April 28, 1896
Technical
Line length	6.6 mi (10.6 km)
Character	Elevated, At-Grade Level
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Legend Paulina Connector Congress branch Garfield Park branch | Main Line Polk BNSF Railway Line 18th Damen Western California BNSF Railway Line Kedzie Central Park Pulaski Pulaski Yard Kildare Ave. Kostner Kostner Ave. Kilbourn Ave. Chicago Cicero Belt Railway of Chicago 47th Ave. 47th Ct. Cicero Ave. Cicero 49th Ave. 50th Avenue 50th Ave. Laramie Laramie Ave. 54th/Cermak 54th Ave. 54th Yard Central Ave. 58th Ave. Austin Ave. 61st Ave. Lombard Ave. Cicero Berwyn Ridgeland Ave. Wesley Ave.

The Cermak branch, formerly known as the Douglas branch, is a 6.6 mi (10.6 km) long section of the Pink Line of the Chicago "L" system in Chicago, Illinois. It was built by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated west of the Loop. As of February 2013, it serves an average of 17,474 passengers every weekday.^[1] The branch serves the Near West Side, Pilsen, Lower West Side, South Lawndale, and North Lawndale neighborhoods of Chicago, and the west suburb Cicero, Illinois. The branch operates from 4:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., weekdays, and Saturdays from 5:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., and Sundays from 5:00 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., including holidays.

History[]

Initially known as the Douglas Park branch, construction began in June 1893 and the line was inaugurated on April 28, 1896, between Marshfield Avenue and 18th Street. The branch started off with four stations and was the shortest of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated. Construction time was longer than in other sections.^[2] On August 7, 1896, the Douglas Park branch was extended to Western.^[3]

On June 29, 1900, the City of Chicago approved an extension of the branch to Pulaski (then 40th Avenue) and construction took place in mid-June 1901. On March 10, 1902, the Douglas Park branch was extended to Lawndale Avenue, which allowed the opening of four new stations: California, Kedzie, Homan, and Clifton Park (Drake).

On May 22, 1907, the Douglas Park branch was extended to 46th Avenue (Kenton Avenue), which is the Chicago city limits. The station was a few meters from the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric which was one of the largest employers in the area of Chicago at the time. On December 16, 1907, the Douglas Park branch was extended to Cicero (then 48th Avenue), extending service to the town of Cicero, Illinois.

On August 20, 1910, the Douglas Park branch was extended to Laramie (then 52nd Avenue Avenue).^[2] On August 1, 1912, service was extended to 56th Avenue (Central Avenue)^[4] and extended again to Lombard Avenue exactly three years later. The final stretch on the branch was to Oak Park Avenue, in Berwyn, which opened on March 16, 1924.^[5]

On December 9, 1951, during the establishment of skip/stop A/B, the Chicago Transit Authority l, which had taken over operation of the "L" system in 1947, streamlined service on the line and shut down five stations: 14th Place, Homan, Drake, Lawndale and Kenton, while opening a station at Central Park. On February 3, 1952, service on the Douglas line was suspended to all stations west of 54th/Cermak. Service to these areas was replaced by a bus route.^[6]

The stations at Roosevelt and Douglas Park were closed three months later.^[2] On June 22, 1958, Douglas trains were rerouted to the West-Northwest route, the Congress branch, the new line in the middle of the Eisenhower Expressway and connecting routes to the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, heading north to Logan Square.^[7] The new system changed the service and it was decided that all stations on the Douglas branch would now be "B" and the Congress branch would now be "A". In 1973, due to budget cuts, the 50th Avenue station closed.^[2]

Renovations[]

In 1983, Polk and Cicero were rebuilt to make them ADA accessible for passengers with disabilities. The poorly utilized Laramie station was closed to accelerate service the following year. In 1993, 18th was rebuilt to provide access for passengers with disabilities and the CTA color-coded the lines, placing the Douglas branch as part of the Blue Line. In 1995, the A/B service was abandoned and all trains stop at every station, does not affect the service of the stations on the Douglas branch. In 1996, the CTA changed the name of the branch to the Cermak branch, although Chicagoans still use the name "Douglas" to refer to the line. In 1998, the branch lost its 24-hour service, along with the Purple and Green lines. On September 10, 2001, the CTA began a $363 million renovation project of the branch which was completed on January 8, 2005.^[8] As of today, all eleven stations on the branch are ADA accessible.

Current[]

The current Pink Line route was assigned to the Douglas branch on June 25, 2006.^[9] The CTA ended Blue Line service on the Douglas branch on April 25, 2008.^[2]

Station listing[]

Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
	Oak Park Avenue and 22nd Street	Closed February 3, 1952
	Ridgeland Avenue and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
	Lombard Avenue and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
	Austin Boulevard and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
	58th Avenue and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
	and Cermak Road	Closed February 3, 1952 Originally known as 56th Avenue
54th/Cermak	2151 S. 54th Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Morton College, Chicago Motor Speedway, Morton East High School Auxiliary entrance at Laramie Avenue
Laramie	2130 S. Laramie Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Closed February 9, 1992; reopened in December 2001 during Douglas branch renovation and closed on August 16, 2003 Originally known as 52nd Avenue
50th Avenue	2133 S. 50th Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Closed 1978; deconstructed, reassembled, and preserved in Illinois Railway Museum
Cicero	2134 S. Cicero Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Cicero, Hawthorne Works. Transfer to Metra trains at Cicero Originally known as 48th Avenue
	Cermak Road west of Kilbourn Avenue	Closed December 9, 1951
Kostner	2019 S. Kostner Avenue	Hawthorne Race Course, Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame Originally known as Kildare (one block east of Kostner) until 2002; became Kostner July 17, 2003 and Kildare was converted into an auxiliary entrance
Pulaski	2021 S. Pulaski Road	North Lawndale, Homan Square Originally known as 40th Avenue Terminal and later Crawford Avenue.
	Lawndale Avenue and 21st Street	Closed December 9, 1951
Central Park	1944 S. Central Park Avenue	South Lawndale, Little Village
	Drake Avenue and 21st Street	Closed December 9, 1951
	Homan Avenue and 21st Street	Closed December 9, 1951
Kedzie	1944 S. Kedzie Avenue	Douglas Park, Our Lady of Tepeyac High School
	2008 S. Marshall Boulevard	Closed May 3, 1952
California	2010 S. California Avenue	Douglas Park, Cook County Jail, Little Village, Mount Sinai Medical Center
Western	2010 S. Western Avenue	Heart of Chicago, Heart of Italy, St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran School Transfer to Metra trains at Western Avenue
Damen	2010 S. Damen Avenue	Lower West Side, Chicago International Produce Market, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Originally known as Hoyne (one block west of Damen) until 2002; became Damen on July 22, 2004 and Hoyne was converted into an auxiliary entrance
	Wood Street and 21st Street	Closed May 19, 1957
18th	1710 W. 18th Street	Pilsen, St. Adalbert's, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
	14th Place and Paulina Street	Closed December 9, 1951
	Roosevelt Road and Paulina Street	Closed May 3, 1952 Originally known as 12th Street
Polk	1713 W. Polk Street	Illinois Medical District, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush University, Rush University Medical Center, Little Italy

Image gallery[]

• 

  An art wall sitting just outside the entrance at Western

• 

  The 18th station is built with art walls and structures

• 

  The Kedzie station has a wide-wooden platform with passenger shelters

• 

  The side entrance and small plaza at Central Park.

References[]