Central station (CTA Green Line)

Central is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system and is located at 350 North Central Avenue in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West side.

Central   5600W 400N
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Location	350 North Central Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60644
Coordinates	41.887389°N 87.76565°W / 41.887389; -87.76565
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line(s)	Lake Branch
Platforms	1 Island Platform
Tracks	2 tracks
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	April 15, 1899[1]
Rebuilt	1962, 1994–96 (renovation)
Traffic
Passengers (2019)	592,649[2]  5.4%
Rank	94 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Austin toward Harlem/Lake Green Line Laramie toward Ashland/63rd or Cottage Grove
Former services Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station Austin Boulevard toward Geneva Galena Division Kedzie toward Chicago Linden Park toward Wells Street Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Menard Closed 1948 toward Harlem/Lake Lake Street Elevated Laramie toward Loop (Randolph/Wells) or Market Terminal
Track layout Corcoran Pl. Green Line west to Harlem/Lake Parkside Ave. Union Pacific / West Line Central Ave. Green Line east to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove Lake St.

History

The original Central station was built as part of an extension of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad that opened on April 15, 1899. The structure, consisting of a single island platform, was originally at grade, but was relocated onto an embankment in 1962 to allow Central Avenue to pass underneath. The Parkside Avenue auxiliary entrance closed on January 15, 1973.[3] During the 1994–1996 Green Line rehabilitation, Central was repainted and an elevator was added for accessibility.

Despite the identical name, it is geographically distant from Central station on the Purple Line.

Location

The station address is 350 North Central Avenue and it is situated between the Laramie and Austin stations on the Green Line, which runs from Harlem/Lake and to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. The station is located at the intersection of Central Avenue and Corcoran Place in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.

Bus connections

CTA

• 85 Central

Notes and references

Notes

References

1. "Austin Hails Five-Cent Fares". Chicago Daily Tribune. April 15, 1899. p. 5.
2. "Monthly Ridership Report – December 2019" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 13, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
3. "CTA Gives Riders Taste of Cutback". Chicago Tribune. January 13, 1973. p. 42.

External links

• Central (Lake Street Line) Station Page
• Parkside Avenue closed entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Central Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View