Central is a Purple Line station of the

Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , ...

'L' system. Located at 1024 Central Street in Evanston,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

(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, 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.

History

Structure

The station was built close by to landmarks that include the

Evanston Hospital NorthShore University HealthSystem (formerly Evanston Northwestern Healthcare or ENH) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving patients throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. NorthShore encompasses six hospitals, as of late 2021 � ...

and offices of

NorthShore University HealthSystem NorthShore University HealthSystem (formerly Evanston Northwestern Healthcare or ENH) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving patients throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. NorthShore encompasses six hospitals, as of late 2021 — ...

, an Evanston

fire station __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire ...

Canal Shores Golf Course Canal Shores Golf Course, (formerly known as the Peter N. Jans Memorial Golf Course and the Evanston Wilmette Community Golf Course) is an 82-acre, 18-hole, par 60 golf course located in a suburban residential neighborhood on the east side of Evan ...

, and Chandler Newburger Recreation Center.

Ryan Field Ryan Field may refer to: * Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, also known as Ryan Field, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States * Ryan Field (airport), also known as Ryan Airfield, in Tucson, Arizona, United States * Ryan Field (sportscaster) (born ...

, home of the

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

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 A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

stand, Mustard's Last Stand. A few blocks further west is the Central Street station on

Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines ...

Union Pacific/North Line The Union Pacific North Line (UP-N) is a Metra line in the Chicago metropolitan area. It runs between Ogilvie Transportation Center and Kenosha, Wisconsin; however, most trains terminate in Waukegan, Illinois. Although Metra owns the rolling st ...

. Less than a mile separate the two rail stations.

Former service

Central was served by trains of the

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (reporting mark CNSM), also known as the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service over an route between the Chicago Loop and downtown Milwaukee, as w ...

on the Shore Line Route. Like Foster and

Noyes Noyes is an English surname of patronymic origin, deriving from the given name Noah. Notable people with the surname include: * Albertina Noyes (born 1949), American figure skater * Alfred Noyes (1880–1958), English poet * Arthur Amos Noyes (18 ...

, 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.

Bus connections

CTA * 201 Central/Ridge (Monday-Saturday only)

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

Central Street (Evanston Line) Station Page
a
Chicago-'L'.org

''After Midnight'', Central Street Neighbors Association (image of Central Street "L")

Central Street Station PageCTA official siteCentral Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
{{Chicago "L" stations navbox, Purple=Yes CTA Purple Line stations Railway stations in Evanston, Illinois Railway stations in the United States opened in 1908 Former North Shore Line stations 1908 establishments in Illinois