Metropolitan main line (CTA)

Metropolitan Line
The four tracks of the Metropolitan Main in 1895
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago 'L'
Locale	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Termini	Wells Street Terminal and Franklin/Van Buren Marshfield
Stations	8
Operation
Opened	May 6, 1895[1]
Closed	June 22, 1958
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority (1947-1958) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924-1947) Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (1895-1924)
Character	Elevated
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Legend Quincy Wells Street Terminal 1: Franklin Terminal 2: Franklin/Van Buren Chicago River Canal Union Station Halsted 1: Racine 2: Throop Shop Laflin Marshfield 1: Northwest branch 2: Douglas Park branch Garfield Park branch   Former direct connection outside of paid area

The Metropolitan main line is a defunct rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago 'L' system. The line ran west from two downtown termini, the Wells Street Terminal and the Loop via Franklin/Van Buren, to the Marshfield Junction. At this point the Garfield Park branch continued westward, while the Douglas Park branch turned south, and the Northwest branch turned north feeding the Humboldt Park branch and Logan Square branch. The Metropolitan main line served eight stations aside from those in the Loop. The line opened on May 6, 1895, and closed on June 22, 1958, upon the opening of the Congress branch.

History

The Metropolitan main line opened on May 6, 1895; trains initially ran from Canal to Marshfield, where they continued onto the Northwest branch and eventually the other branches. The Franklin Street Terminal opened on May 13,^[2] extending the line eastward. This terminal was closed in 1897, and the line was routed to the Loop via Van Buren Street. The Wells Street Terminal opened on October 3, 1904, and Metropolitan main line trains terminated at both this terminal and the Loop. In 1951, the Milwaukee/Dearborn Subway opened, and Northwest branch trains were rerouted to the subway; at the same time, the Humboldt Park branch became a shuttle service, leaving only the Garfield Park and Douglas Park branches operating on the main line. Wells Street Terminal and Laflin closed in 1951, and Racine and Marshfield both closed in 1954. Franklin/Van Buren station closed in 1955; trains on the line entered the Loop from the Wells Street track after this point. The Metropolitan main line closed on June 22, 1958 upon the opening of the Congress branch, which also replaced the Garfield Park branch.^[3]

Station listing

Metropolitan main line stations

Station	Location	Opened	Closed
Wells Street Terminal	314 S. Wells Street	October 3, 1904	February 25, 1951
Franklin Terminal	Franklin Street between Jackson Boulevard and Van Buren Street	May 13, 1895	1897
Franklin/Van Buren	Franklin Street and Van Buren Street	October 11, 1897	October 11, 1955
Canal	Canal Street between Jackson and Van Buren Streets	May 6, 1895	June 22, 1958
Halsted	Halsted Street and Van Buren Street	May 6, 1895	1958
Racine	416-18 S. Racine Avenue	May 6, 1895	April 5, 1954
Laflin	418 S. Laflin Street	May 6, 1895	December 9, 1951
Marshfield	418 S. Marshfield Avenue	May 6, 1895	1954

References

1. "New "L" Road Opens". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 7, 1895. p. 12.
2. "Calls on the Banks". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 10, 1895. p. 4.
3. Graham Garfield. "Metropolitan Main Line and Garfield Park branch". Chicago-'L'.org. Retrieved August 10, 2010.