Union Pacific / Northwest Line

Union Pacific / Northwest Line
A Union Pacific / Northwest Line train led by an EMD F40PH in Norwood Park, Illinois
Overview
Service type Commuter Rail
Locale Cook, Lake and McHenry counties, Illinois
Current operator(s)
Ridership 38,600 (Avg. Weekday 2014)[1]
18,800 (Avg. Weekend 2014)[2]
Route
Start Ogilvie Transportation Center
Stops 23
End Harvard, McHenry
Line(s) used
Technical
Track owner(s) Union Pacific Railroad

The Union Pacific / Northwest Line (UP-NW) is a commuter rail line provided by Metra and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in Chicago, Illinois and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not refer to any of its lines by colors, the timetable accents for the Union Pacific/Northwest line are bright "Viking Yellow," honoring the Chicago & North Western Railway's Viking passenger train.[3]

The line runs from Ogilvie Transportation Center to Harvard, Illinois, with a branch line to McHenry, Illinois that operates during weekday rush hours. Overall, this is Metra's longest route and one of three routes with branches (the others being the Rock Island District and Metra Electric District). The terminus of the McHenry branch originally was in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, but was cut back to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 1965, Lake Geneva to Richmond, Illinois in 1975, and Richmond to McHenry in 1980.[4]

As of April 2013, the public timetable indicated 33 trains leaving Chicago each weekday, with 3 terminating at McHenry, 14 terminating at Crystal Lake, 4 terminating at Barrington, 11 at Harvard, and 1 at Des Plaines.

The line has many riders from southern Wisconsin due to its proximity to places like Madison and Janesville. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has funded studies on extending the line from Harvard into Janesville, with potential stops along the way.[5] This line is also used by a handful of commuters from the Rockford area.[6] There has been talk of rebuilding the KD Line from Rockford to Harvard. A 1.6-mile (2.6 km) extension of the McHenry branch to Johnsburg is proposed as part of CMAP’s Go to 2040 Priority Projects. This service enhancement would include the addition of two new stations: Prairie Grove on the McHenry branch and Ridgefield on the Harvard branch.[7]

The Union Pacific / Northwest Line is Metra's second busiest line, with an average of 38,600 boardings on a weekday. It is second only to the BNSF Railway Line.

The line is triple-tracked from Clybourn to just southeast of Barrington, with a bidirectional express track, and double tracked from Barrington to Harvard. The McHenry branch is single-tracked.

Stations

Zone Station Municipality County Notes
N/A Williams Bay Williams Bay, WI Walworth Williams Bay (McHenry) branch
Closed 1966
N/A Lake Geneva Lake Geneva, WI Williams Bay (McHenry) branch
Closed 1975
N/A Pell Lake Pell Lake, WI Williams Bay (McHenry) branch
Closed 1975
N/A Genoa City Genoa City, WI Williams Bay (McHenry) branch
Closed 1975
M Harvard Harvard McHenry Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 808 Crystal Lake/Harvard

L Richmond Richmond Williams Bay (McHenry) branch
Closed 1980
Hartland Hartland Closed
K Ringwood Ringwood Williams Bay (McHenry) branch
Closed 1980
Johnsburg Johnsburg McHenry branch

proposed new stop

Woodstock Woodstock Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 807 Woodstock/McHenry via Wonder Lake and 808 Crystal Lake/Harvard

McHenry McHenry McHenry branch

Connections:
Bus interchange Pace buses: 806 Crystal Lake/Fox Lake and 807 Woodstock/McHenry via Wonder Lake

J Prairie Grove Prairie Grove McHenry branch

proposed new stop

Ridgefield Ridgefield Closed, proposed new stop[7]
I Crystal Lake Crystal Lake Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 806 Crystal Lake/Fox Lake and 808 Crystal Lake/Harvard

Pingree Road
H Cary Cary
Fox River Grove Fox River Grove
G Barrington Barrington Cook Beginning of center express track
F Palatine Palatine
E Arlington Park Arlington Heights Points of interest:

Arlington Park

Arlington Heights Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 696 Harper College/Woodfield/Arlington Heights/Randhurst

D Mount Prospect Mount Prospect Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 234 Wheeling/Des Plaines and 694 Central Road/Mt. Prospect Station

Cumberland Des Plaines Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 209 Busse Highway, 221 Wolf Road, and 234 Wheeling/Des Plaines

Des Plaines Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 208 Golf Road, 209 Busse Highway, 226 Oakton Street, 230 South Des Plaines, 234 Wheeling/Des Plaines, and 250 Dempster Street

C Dee Road Park Ridge Connections:

Bus interchange Pace buses: 209 Busse Highway, 226 Oakton Street, and 240 Dee Road

Park Ridge Connections:

Bus interchange CTA buses: 68 Northwest Highway
Bus interchange Pace buses: 209 Busse Highway, 241 Greenwood/Talcott, and 290 Touhy Avenue

Skokie Skokie Skokie branch

Closed December 1, 1958

Lincolnwood Lincolnwood Skokie branch

Closed December 1, 1958

Sauganash Chicago Skokie branch

Closed December 1, 1958

Peterson Weber branch

Closed December 1, 1958

Edison Park Connections:

Bus interchange CTA buses: 68 Northwest Highway

Norwood Park Connections:

Bus interchange CTA buses: 68 Northwest Highway

B Gladstone Park Connections:

Bus interchange CTA buses: 68 Northwest Highway

Jefferson Park Connections:

Metro interchange CTA "L" lines: Blue Line
Bus interchange CTA buses: 56 Milwaukee, 68 Northwest Highway, 81 Lawrence, 81W West Lawrence, 85 Central, 85A North Central, 88 Higgins, 91 Austin, 92 Foster, and X98 Avon Express
Bus interchange Pace buses: 225 Central/Howard, 226 Oakton Street, and 270 Milwaukee Avenue

Mayfair Closed December 1, 1958
Kostner Closed December 1, 1958
Irving Park Connections:

Metro interchange CTA "L" lines: Blue Line (at Irving Park)
Bus interchange CTA buses: 53 Pulaski, N53 Pulaski, 54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd, and 80 Irving Park

Parkview Closed December 1, 1958
Avondale Closed December 1, 1958
A Maplewood Closed December 1, 1958
Clybourn Connections:

Mainline rail interchange Metra trains: Union Pacific / North Line
Bus interchange CTA buses: 9 Ashland, X9 Ashland Express, 73 Armitage, and 132 Goose Island Express

Ogilvie Transportation Center Connections:

Mainline rail interchange Metra trains: Union Pacific / North Line Union Pacific / West Line
Metro interchange CTA "L" lines: Green and Pink Lines (at Clinton)
Bus interchange CTA buses: J14 Jeffery Jump, 19 United Center Express, 56 Milwaukee, 60 Blue Island/26th, 120 Ogilvie/Streeterville Express, 124 Navy Pier, 125 Water Tower Express, 126 Jackson, 128 Soldier Field Express, 130 Museum Campus, 157 Streeterville/Taylor, and 192 University of Chicago Hospitals Express

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-02.
  4. ↑ Behrens, P. L. (2002). Steam Trains to Geneva Lake: C&NW's Elgin – Williams Bay Branch. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ↑ Judy Robson Announces Funding of Metra Feasibility Study
  6. ↑ Northern Illinois Commuter Transportation Initiative Rockford Bus Service to Chicago Area Archived May 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
  7. 1 2 "Go to 2040: Comprensive Regional Plan". Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. 2010. p. 281. Retrieved September 8, 2018.

Route map:

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Media related to Metra Union Pacific/Northwest Line at Wikimedia Commons

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