Kensington/115th Street station

Kensington/115th Street
Location	115th Street & Cottage Grove Avenue Pullman, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°41′11″N 87°36′43″W / 41.686462°N 87.612027°W / 41.686462; -87.612027Coordinates: 41°41′11″N 87°36′43″W / 41.686462°N 87.612027°W / 41.686462; -87.612027
Owned by	Metra
Line(s)	Metra Electric District
Platforms	1 Island platform (formerly 2)
Tracks	3
Connections	CTA Bus
Construction
Parking	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	C (Metra)
History
Opened	1916
Electrified	1926 (1500v DC)
Services
Preceding station   Metra   Following station 111th Street (Pullman) toward Millennium Station Metra Electric District Main Line Riverdale toward University Park Metra Electric District Blue Island Branch State Street toward Blue Island
Former services Preceding station   NICTD   Following station 63rd Street toward Millennium Station South Shore Line Hegewisch toward South Bend Airport Illinois Central Harvey toward New Orleans Main Line 63rd Street toward Chicago Central Station Harvey toward St. Louis St. Louis – Chicago New York Central Railroad 63rd Street toward Chicago Michigan Central Railroad Main Line Hammond toward Detroit Chicago – Cincinnati (Big Four Railroad) Harvey toward Cincinnati

Kensington/115th Street is a commuter rail station on the far south side of Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park and Blue Island. The station is located at 115th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. It is the last station for Blue Island Branch trains before those split off of the main line for Blue Island. The South Shore Line diverges to Indiana immediately south of this station. It had previously stopped at this station prior to February 15, 2012, with the reconfiguration of the junction to minimize congestion.^[1]

In 1991, an advocacy group formed to press Metra to make necessary cosmetic and safety upgrades to this station, one of the busiest on the Metra Electric line. Dubbed "Operation Restore Kensington," the group pressured railroad officials to work closely with the city to upgrade parking, enhance station lighting, landscaping and security, and persuade local vendors to open concession stands in the station. For its efforts, O.R.K. monitored the railroad's efforts to build a brand new station and assisted with the railroad's efforts to increase station parking facilities. O.R.K. was disbanded in the 1990s.

The station was also served by Illinois Central intercity-trains from Chicago to points south.^[2]

• 
  Photo of the original Kensington Station at 115th street on the Illinois Central Railroad south of Chicago

Bus connections

CTA

• 4 Cottage Grove
• 111A Pullman Shuttle
• 115 Pullman/115th

References

External links

• Metra – Stations – Kensington/115th Street
• 115th Street entrance from Google Maps Street View