Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad

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Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
L Train over Jack-Knife Bridge, Chicago (front).png
A train on the Metropolitan main line passes over the Chicago river.
Overview
LocaleChicago, Illinois
Service
TypeRapid transit
ServicesLogan Square
Humboldt Park
Garfield Park
Douglas Park
Operator(s)Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company (1895–1899)
Metropolitan West side Elevated Railway (1899–1924)
History
OpenedMay 6, 1895[1]
Closed1924 (merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company)
Technical
CharacterElevated
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationThird rail, 600 V DC
Route map

Legend
Wells Street
Terminal
to Loop
Franklin/
Van Buren
Logan Square
Down arrow Garfield Park
Douglas Park LowerRight arrow
 Polk
Lake Street Transfer
Robey
18th Street
Humboldt Park LowerRight arrow
Western
California
Logan Square
Hoyne
Western
California
Kedzie
Crawford
Kildare
48th Avenue
50th Avenue
52nd Avenue
54th Avenue
Des Plaines
Concordia
Cemetery
Waldheim
Cemetery
Des Plaines River
Chicago, Aurora
& Elgin Railroad
Metropolitan "L"
trackage
Chicago Aurora
& Elgin trackage
Metropolitan "L"
trackage rights
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The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (known as the Met or Polly "L"[2]) was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois and was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park (eventually extended to the suburb of Berwyn, Illinois). Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line.

Operation[]

At 6:00 am on May 7, 1895, the first train of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated left the Robey Street station bound for the downtown terminal at Canal.[1]

Consolidation[]

In 1913, Chicago's four elevated railroad companies came together to form the Chicago Elevated Railways Collateral Trust establishing crosstown services for the first time, and in 1924 all four companies were formally united to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company.[3] The Chicago Transit Authority took over the assets of the CRT in 1947. In 1951, the Logan Square branch was rerouted into the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, and the Humboldt Park Branch was cut back to a shuttle to Damen Avenue. The Humboldt Park branch would be discontinued a year later.

In 1952, the Douglas branch was shortened to its present terminal at 54th/Cermak[4] and the Humboldt Park branch was closed.[5] The construction of the Eisenhower Expressway required the demolition of the Garfield Park branch and the Main Line but also called for a replacement rapid transit line in the median of the expressway. In 1958, the Garfield Park Branch was replaced by the new Congress Line.[6] Much of the Metropolitan still operates today, with the Blue Line using a portion of the Logan Square branch on its way to O'Hare International Airport, as well as the Congress Line that replaced the Garfield Park Branch. The Douglas Park Branch, initially operated as a branch of the Blue Line from 1958 to 2006, is now operated as the Pink Line.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "New "L" Road Opens". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 7, 1895. p. 12.
  2. ^ Moffat, Bruce (1995). "Chapter 8: An Innovative Elevated". The "L" The Development of Chicago's Rapid Transit System, 1888-1932. Chicago: Central Electric Railfans' Association. pp. 123–145. ISBN 0-915348-30-6.
  3. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Unification". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  4. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Douglas". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  5. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Humboldt Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  6. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Garfield Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2009-01-20.

External links[]

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