Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad

The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (known as the Met or Polly "L"[2]) was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The main line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue, with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park (eventually extended to the suburb of Berwyn, Illinois). Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line.

Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
A train on the Metropolitan main line passes over the Chicago river.
Overview
LocaleChicago, Illinois
Service
TypeRapid transit
ServicesLogan Square
Humboldt Park
Garfield Park
Douglas Park
Operator(s)Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company (1895–1899)
Metropolitan West side Elevated Railway (1899–1924)
History
OpenedMay 6, 1895 (1895-05-06)[1]
Closed1924 (1924)
(merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company)
Technical
CharacterElevated
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationThird rail, 600 V DC
Route map

Wells Street
Terminal
to Loop
Franklin
Terminal
Franklin/
Van Buren
Canal
Halsted
Racine
Laflin
Marshfield
Logan Square
Down arrow Garfield Park
Douglas Park LowerRight arrow
Madison
Polk
Lake Street Transfer
Roosevelt
Grand
Ogden
Chicago
14th Place
Division
Hoyne
Robey
18th Street
Humboldt Park LowerRight arrow
Western
Western
Western
California
California
Logan Square
Humboldt Park
Kedzie
Wood
Ballou
California
Lawndale
Hoyne
Sacramento
Western
Kedzie
California
St. Louis
Douglas Park
Garfield Park
Kedzie
Crawford
Homan
Tripp
Clifton Park
Kilbourn
Lawndale
Cicero
Crawford
Laramie
Kildare
Central
Kenton
Austin
48th Avenue
Lombard
50th Avenue
Gunderson
52nd Avenue
Oak Park
54th Avenue
Home
56th Avenue
Harlem
58th Avenue
Hannah
Austin
Des Plaines
62nd Avenue
Concordia
Cemetery
Waldheim
Cemetery
Des Plaines River
Chicago, Aurora
& Elgin Railroad
Metropolitan "L"
trackage
Chicago Aurora
& Elgin trackage
Metropolitan "L"
trackage rights

Operation

At 6:00 am on May 7, 1895, the first train of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated left the Robey Street station bound for the downtown terminal at Canal.[1]

Consolidation

In 1913, Chicago's four elevated railroad companies came together to form the Chicago Elevated Railways Collateral Trust establishing crosstown services for the first time. In 1924 all four companies were formally united to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company.[3] The Chicago Transit Authority took over the assets of the CRT in 1947. In 1951, the Logan Square branch was rerouted into the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, and the Humboldt Park Branch was cut back to a shuttle to Damen Avenue. The Humboldt Park branch would be discontinued a year later.

In 1952, the Douglas branch was shortened to its current terminal at 54th/Cermak[4] and the Humboldt Park branch was closed.[5] The construction of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) required the demolition of the Garfield Park branch and the Main Line but also called for a replacement rapid transit line in the median of the expressway. In 1958, the Garfield Park Branch was replaced by the new Congress Line.[6]

Much of the Metropolitan still operates today, with the Blue Line using a portion of the Logan Square branch on its way to O'Hare International Airport, as well as the Congress Line that replaced the Garfield Park Branch. The Douglas Park Branch, operated as a branch of the Blue Line from 1958 to 2008, is now operated as the Pink Line.

References

  1. "New "L" Road Opens". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 7, 1895. p. 12.
  2. Moffat, Bruce (1995). "Chapter 8: An Innovative Elevated". The "L" The Development of Chicago's Rapid Transit System, 1888-1932. Chicago: Central Electric Railfans' Association. pp. 123–145. ISBN 0-915348-30-6.
  3. Garfield, Graham. "Unification". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  4. Garfield, Graham. "Douglas". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
  5. Garfield, Graham. "Humboldt Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
  6. Garfield, Graham. "Garfield Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
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