79th Street (Chatham) station

79th Street (Chatham) is an electrified commuter rail station along the Metra Electric Main Line in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is located at and over 79th Street, and is 9.9 miles (15.9 km) away from the northern terminus at Millennium Station.[2] In Metra's zone-based fare system, 79th Street is in zone B. As of 2018, the station is the 212th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 50 weekday boardings.[1]

79th Street Chatham
General information
Location	79th Street between Greenwood Avenue & Woodlawn Avenue Chatham, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41.7507°N 87.5972°W / 41.7507; -87.5972
Owned by	Metra
Line(s)	University Park Sub District
Platforms	1 Island platform
Tracks	4
Connections	CTA Bus
Construction
Accessible	No
Other information
Fare zone	B
History
Closed	2023 (for reconstruction)
Rebuilt	2023-2024 (Ongoing)
Electrified	1500v DC
Passengers
2018	50 (average weekday)[1]  15.3%
Rank	212 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station 83rd Street (Avalon Park) toward University Park or Blue Island Metra Electric Main Line & Blue Island Branch 75th Street (Grand Crossing) toward Millennium Station
Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station 83rd Street toward Richton or Blue Island Electric Suburban Main Line & Blue Island Branch 75th Street toward Randolph Street
Track layout ME north to Millennium 79th St. Nickel Plate Railroad ME south to Blue Island or University Park
Location

On July 10, 2023, the station was temporarily closed to the public for reconstruction. The project, which will update the station and make the platform ADA-Accessible, is expected to take seven months.[3][4]

East of this station is another Metra Electric station along 79th Street (known as Cheltenham) along the South Chicago Branch. Like much of the main branch of the Metra Electric line, 79th Street-Chatham is built on elevated tracks near the embankment of a bridge over 79th Street. This bridge also carries the Amtrak line that runs parallel to it, carrying the City of New Orleans and Illini and Saluki trains. Parking is available only on the southwest corner of 79th Street and Woodlawn Avenue.

The former Nickel Plate Railroad passed on a long bridge over the Illinois Central (the current tracks) just north of the station. The bridge still exists, but rail service is long gone.