Congress Terminal was a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

station on the

Chicago "L" The Chicago "L" (short for "elevated railway, elevated") is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the four ...

, serving its

South Side Elevated The South Side Elevated is a branch of the Chicago "L" system in Chicago, Illinois that is served by the Green Line. It has on average 12,509 passengers, counting branch divisions, boarding each weekday as of February 2013, according to the Chica ...

. It was located at Congress Parkway over Holden Court. The terminal opened in 1892 as the original northern terminus of the Elevated; when the Loop was constructed in 1897, the terminal closed and was replaced by the Elevated's Congress/Wabash station about away. The Loop's congestion issues led to the terminal's reopening in 1902, renamed Old Congress to distinguish it from the Congress/Wabash station. Congress Terminal was built by the

Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad The South Side Elevated Railroad (originally Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad) was the first elevated rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois. The line ran from downtown Chicago to East 63rd branch (CTA), Jackson Park, with branches ...

and was one of Chicago's original 'L' stations. On August 1, 1949, the CTA stopped service to the terminal as part of the service revision introducing A-B Skip-Stop service to the south side. 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 train, passenger and freight train, freight service over an route between the Chicag ...

continued to use the station as a baggage terminal until the line quit in 1963.

Nomenclature

The name of the station was fluid over time. It was referred to as the "Congress street station" and "Congress street terminus" in 1892, and the "State–Congress terminal" upon its closing in 1949.

History

Opening and original use (1892–1897)

The South Side Elevated Railroad was incorporated in 1888, and commenced operations on June 6, 1892. Its northern terminus was a station on Congress Street that was a one-track and one-platform affair. The congestion at the terminal was such that the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' remarked that:

Loop and disuse (1897–1902)

The Loop opened, resulting in the closure of the Terminal.

Reuse and final days (1902–1963)

The Loop became overcrowded, so the old Congress terminal was reopened in 1902. To prevent confusion with the nearby Congress/Wabash station, it was renamed "Old Congress".

Station details

Throughout its existence, the terminal was a single-track operation with a platform on its eastern end.

Operations and connections

As originally opened, the South Side Elevated took 14 minutes to go between Congress and 39th streets, half the time the State Street cable car route took. Service was 24 hours, with trains run every 20 minutes between midnight and 5 a.m.; every 14 minutes between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 10 p.m. and midnight; every 6 minutes between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and every 3 minutes between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m. during

rush hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English, Indian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice e ...

References

External links

A narrated 1949 view of the Congress Terminal
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1892 1892 establishments in Illinois 1963 disestablishments in Illinois Chicago "L" terminal stations Former North Shore Line stations Defunct Chicago "L" stations Railway stations in the United States closed in 1963 Demolished railway stations in the United States {{Chicago-Metro-stub