Central station (CTA Purple Line) (original) (raw)
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Chicago "L" station
For other stations on the CTA system named Central, see Central (CTA).
| Central 2600N1000W | |
|---|---|
| Chicago 'L' rapid transit station | |
 |
|
| General information | |
| Location | 1024 Central StreetEvanston, Illinois 60201 |
| Coordinates | 42°03′50″N 87°41′09″W / 42.063950°N 87.685742°W / 42.063950; -87.685742 |
| Owned by | Chicago Transit Authority |
| Line(s) | Evanston Branch |
| Platforms | 1 Island platform |
| Tracks | 2 |
| Connections | CTA bus |
| Construction | |
| Structure type | Elevated |
| History | |
| Opened | May 16, 1908; 116 years ago (1908-05-16) |
| Rebuilt | 1931; 94 years ago (1931) |
| Passengers | |
| 2022 | 125,062[1]  13.1% |
| Services | |
| Preceding station [Chicago "L"](/wiki/Chicago%5F%22L%22 "Chicago "L"") Following station LindenTerminus Purple Line Noyestoward Howard or Loop(Clark/Lake) | |
| Former services Preceding station Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad Following station Lindentoward North Chicago Junction North Shore LineShore Line Route Noyestoward Roosevelt Road Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station Llewellyn ParkTerminus Chicago – Evanston Noyes Streettowards Chicago Preceding station [Chicago "L"](/wiki/Chicago%5F%22L%22 "Chicago "L"") Following station IsabellaClosed 1973toward Linden Evanston Line Noyestoward Howard | |
Track layout Legend         Purple to Linden      Central St.     North Shore Lineplatform removed 1970    Purple to Howard orthe Loop  |
|
Location |
Central is a Purple Line station of the Chicago Transit Authority 'L' system. Located at 1024 Central Street in Evanston, Illinois (directional coordinates 2600 north, 1000 west), the elevated platform sits above Central Street, half a block west of Ridge Avenue. The station itself, a Beaux-Arts structure designed by noted transit architect Arthur Gerber,[_citation needed_] is on the south side of Central Street and is entered at street level, with an auxiliary exit on the north side of the street.[2]
The station was built close by to landmarks that include the Evanston Hospital and offices of NorthShore University HealthSystem, an Evanston fire station, Canal Shores Golf Course, and Chandler Newburger Recreation Center. Ryan Field, home of the Northwestern University Wildcats football team, and Welsh-Ryan Arena, home of Northwestern's basketball team, are a few blocks west of the station. Just west of Ryan Field on the north side of the street is the locally famous hot dog stand, Mustard's Last Stand. A few blocks further west is the Central Street station on Metra's Union Pacific North Line. Less than a mile separate the two rail stations.
Footings for the former North Shore Line platform
Central was served by trains of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad on the Shore Line Route. Like Foster and Noyes, Central had an additional side platform to the west of the southbound track for exclusive use of the North Shore Line, to prevent disembarking customers from transferring to 'L' trains for free. The platform was removed sometime after the North Shore Line ceased operations over this section of the rapid transit system in 1955, but its concrete footings can still be seen opposite the current platform south of Central Street.
The Central station house in 2023
- 201 Central/Ridge (Monday-Saturday only)
- ^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ^ "Chicago "L".org: Stations - Central". Retrieved 2008-12-23.
Media related to Central (CTA Purple Line) at Wikimedia Commons