Van Buren Street station is a

commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...

station in downtown

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

that serves the

Metra Electric Line The Metra Electric District is an electrified commuter rail line owned and operated by Metra which connects Millennium Station (formerly Randolph Street Station), in downtown Chicago, with the city's southern suburbs. As of 2018, it is the fif ...

to University Park,

Blue Island Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, south of Chicago's Loop. Blue Island is adjacent to the city of Chicago and shares its northern boundary with that city's Morgan Park neighborhood. The population was 22,558 at t ...

, and

South Chicago South Chicago, formerly known as Ainsworth, is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. This chevron-shaped community is one of Chicago's 16 lakefront neighborhoods near the southern rim of Lake Michigan 10 miles south of downtow ...

neighborhood; and the

South Shore Line The South Shore Line is an electrically powered commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend Airport station in Sout ...

to Gary and

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

. The station has three tracks, with one side and one island platform. During the morning rush hour, platform 1 serves all outbound trains. Platform 2 serves local trains arriving from

, and trains from

. Platform 3 serves trains from the University Park mainline, which are usually expresses. During the off-peak hours and evening rush hour, Platform 1 serves express trains serving the University Park mainline. Platform 2 serves local trains headed for South Chicago, and trains headed for Blue Island. Platform 3 serves all inbound trains. In addition, South Shore Line trains from

Millennium Station Millennium Station, (previously known as Randolph Street Terminal and occasionally referred to as Randolph Street station or Randolph/South Water Street station) is a commuter rail terminal located in the Chicago Loop, Loop area of Chicago, do ...

use platform 1, while trains to Millennium Station use platform 3, regardless of the time of day. One of the station's entrances is a replica of an

Hector Guimard Hector Guimard (, 10 March 1867 – 20 May 1942) was a French architect and designer, and a prominent figure of the Art Nouveau style. He achieved early fame with his design for the Castel Beranger, the first Art Nouveau apartment building i ...

-designed, ''

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

''-style

Paris Métro The Paris Métro (, , or , ), short for Métropolitain (), is a rapid transit system serving the Paris metropolitan area in France. A symbol of the city, it is known for its density within the capital's territorial limits, uniform architectur ...

entrance. The entrance was given to Chicago as a gift by the city of Paris in 2001. A refurbishment project will begin in 2024, with the station receiving new entrances and a green roof.

Bus connections

CTA Buses * 1 Bronzeville/Union Station * 3 King Drive * 4 Cottage Grove (Owl Service) * X4 Cottage Grove Express * 6 Jackson Park Express * 7 Harrison * J14 Jeffery Jump * 26 South Shore Express * 126 Jackson * 130 Museum Campus (Summer Service Only) * 147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express * 148 Clarendon/Michigan Express * 151 Sheridan

Gallery

File:SShore at Van Buren St Station.JPG, South Shore train approaching from Millennium Station File:Van Buren Street station, July 2019 (3).jpg, Interior of the Van Buren Street station File:Metra approaches Van Buren Station.JPG, A Metra train approaching from Kensington and points south File:Van Buren Street station, July 2019.jpg File:Van Buren Street station, July 2019 (4).jpg, Signs direct people to various transit options and the Chicago Pedway File:Van Buren Street station, July 2019 (2).jpg, The other side of the station

References

External links

South Shore Line - StationsJackson Drive entrance from Google Maps Street ViewVan Buren Street entrance from Google Maps Street ViewArticle from ''Railway Review'' (1897) with original floor plan
{{South Shore Line navbox Art Nouveau architecture in Chicago Art Nouveau railway stations Former Illinois Central Railroad stations Metra stations in Chicago Railway stations in the United States opened in 1896 South Shore Line stations in Illinois