Abandoned and Disused Stations of the CTA 'L' System

Like any rapid transit system its age, (the 'L' in some sections dates from as long ago as 1893!) Chicago Transit Authority's network of elevated and subway rapid transit rail lines have witnessed routes being demolished or built new, rehabbed or falling into disrepair, stations either closed, re-opened, renovated or demolished entirely, new stations added to replace older ones, new technologies for fare-collection altering station designs, the construction of freeways, large-scale urban development or re-development affecting rail lines, the effects of urban decline or rejuvenation, and the realities of funding problems and the effect of national and global economic trends on this major metropolitan rapid transit infrastructure.
Along the way and throughout the years, many stations on the CTA's system have been closed, demolished, abandoned as-is or rebuilt, notably starting in 1949 with a massive round of station closures and demolitions, just after the Chicago Transit Authority was formed (in 1947) to take over and consolidate the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (the 'L' and subways) and the Chicago Surface Lines (streetcars and buses). Most of the stations closed were to improve train speeds and efficiencies- quite a few stations of the CRT era were two blocks apart!
More station closings happened in 1973, when the CTA was in the midst of its first (of many) major budget crises. Stations in neighborhoods that had declined were shut, and stops that had low ridership in general were axed. This pattern happened again in the mid-80s, and again in the mid-90s, until the early 2000s, when ridership began to increase dramatically all over the system- new lines had been built and others completely re-built, causing station closures and re-openings.
I have included most, but not all, stations of the CTA system that are currently either abandoned as-is, demolished with some evidence of their past existence, or sections of stations currently in-service that are disused and abandoned. Most of the abandoned pre-CTA stations are impossible to detect, but I have included a couple where they still exist. Station descriptions are between footage in the video, limited to their length by Windows Movie Maker.... Enjoy the history!

[@Larsky1010]

Fascinating! I worked for CTA on West/Northwest lines [Logan Square; Cicero-Berwyn; Desplaines] and the Lake St. El in early '60s. So much has changed! Thanks!

[@Thom1560]

Ticket agent/customer service 1976-2015

[@jajuan323]

Also the old Wilson outer platforms on the North Side Main are currently in the process of being demolished and replaced in addition to the replacement of all four tracks in that vicinity as part of the total reconstruction of the Wilson station as a transfer station between the Red and Purple Lines. The old southbound side outer platform has already been demolished and replaced along with that outer track, which is now a little closer inward, as of March 21st of this year. What served as the island platform between north and southbound Red Line trains will be replaced by what will become the shared transfer platform between Red and Purple Line northbound trains. So your video caught a piece of what's now becoming CTA history.

[@tammygouletschrader8785]

You guys should do an updated video since some stations have closed and reopened due to renovation, others that have been closed years ago but reopened and give an update on why the Washington transfer stop was closed

[@amandadenig7752]

Love this vid. It really captures the Chicago feel of cold Steel and concrete. It really captures what public transportation and passenger train travel has become in the US. It needs to be updated and revitalized. Only we as riders can do that. Again cool vid. And as a side bar... obviously this person recording had authorization to make a movie or he/ she knew where to go and not to go prior to recording.

[@Chitwn81]

The green line has the most history and historical presence out of all the lines....All 3 of its branches constitute the oldest rail transit in the city....I hear there is talk of re-extending the green line cottage grove line back to Jackson Park or Dorchester as it still has all of the steel that was removed in 1997 at the 63rd street lower yard. That would be phenomenal as they never should have taken it down in the first place as they already had the line to Dorchester as the new terminal. I don't know how they would do it now considering Apostolic Church of God has both parcels at Dorchester west of the IC/Metra tracks. It would be better to extend it back to Stony Island like it was prior to 1982.

[@therealjoebloggs]

You're an old BMT rider? Wilson, with the split tracks and disused platform, is straight outta Atlantic Av. on the L-Canarsie line before they simplified it in the early twenty-oh's. And the L-Canarsie line has its own weird "Wilson," next to the cemetery, one platform above ground, the other below!

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

I'm glad the CTA reopened Cermak-McCormick Place. The station name bothers me; McCormick place is a few blocks from the station. If I had my choice, the station's name would be just Cermak.

[@BoratWanksta]

It's silly to me too. Probably a marketing thing Mayor Emanuel wanted to do, since him and certain boosters have wanted to create a restaurant and bar area immediately west of McCormick Place, on one of the north to south streets just south of Cermak, and where the new DePaul University basketball arena is being built.

[@VolumedMusicMan]

Yelling in the background. Time to put on the phones. “Talking loud and sayin nothing!”

[@jimmiesmith5811]

I remember when they tore the old one down in 1977 my mother hated it me too

[@frankdenardo8684]

Cermak and a street that bears his name in Cicero was named after him. Anton Cermak was of Czech ancestry and Cicero has a very large Slavic population.

[@artistmac]

As a native south side Chicagoan, it's depressing to see how the neighborhoods around these stations have emptied out, which is the reason so many station were closed on both the south and west sides. When the city is resorting to selling vacant lots to adjacent homeowners for a dollar, the problem has definitely gotten out of hand.

[@anonymike8280]

Not depressing. These areas were black ghettos back in the day and terribly overcrowded and blighted. Baynard Rustin alluded to "the long dark night of the slums" and James Baldwin to "the cities of destruction" for a reason. I lived on the South Side and rode this line. I know it first hand and my family was below the poverty line too. In the urban geography of Chicago, the South Side will never be densely populated like the North Side is. The density of the North Side is what supports the public transportation on the South Side, or the system would not be there as it is. I haven't lived in Chicago since the 1970's and I understand all of this very well.

[@VolumedMusicMan]

It was the white flight and short sales (city hall scheme) that totally cleared out the neighborhood overnight. Then little businesses and the shopping centers like Sears and Wiebolts followed in the mid 70s. Ford city and Evergreen Park took over in the mall scene. Englewood’s once proud economic scene was gone…

[@VolumedMusicMan]

@@anonymike8280 It’s also economic progress not just density.

[@artistmac]

@@VolumedMusicMan Now, Ford City, Evergreen Plaza, River Oaks are on life support. The Park Forest shopping center and Lincoln Mall, the latter whose opening day I ditched high school to drive out to in 1973, are in their graves. And I never thought I'd see the day when there was a Whole Foods in Englewood.

[@mchekan]

The Green Line Cermak Station is getting rebuilt. It will open late 2014.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

Michelle Sage Chekan Cermak opened in early 2015.

[@Nachtwolf1]

@HarvestmanMan It was built as a provision for a future third track for the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin interurban line to the western suburbs. The CA&E was abandoned in the late '50s, not long after this line in the median of the expressway was finished, so the tunnel and extra room in the median was never used. Before the expressway was built, the CA&E used the now-gone 'L' tracks to reach downtown Chicago.

[@jimwalsh233]

Thanks

[@SynchroScore]

The embankment near the Green Line Indiana station was actually for a freight line that connected the Illinois Central lakefront main line to the Union Stock Yards. The line of that embankment can be clearly seen on aerial views continuing to the west to a now-abandoned junction with the Rock Island, and then proceeding further west as an active freight line on the other side of the Dan Ryan.

[@johnperry4572]

24:20 CTA Purple Line Isabella Station can be seen on a classic TV series The Bob Newhart Show (1970s) as part of the shows "long form" opening credits..in fact those credits feature a blooper that sharp eyed Chicagoans would spot...4 different types of CTA cars were used to illustrate a single Evanston Express ( as it was known then) train first shot was an early production 6000 series car (one of the first 200 cars built...then a 2000 series car...both shots at Randolph/Wabash Station)...then a late production car (one of the last 600 cars built...long distance shot on Wells St Bridge)...then a 1/50 series car at Isabella St...

[@heymiguel85]

was waiting for the wilson stop. had to get off at the abandoned platform there about 2 yrs ago due to a derailment. lol thanks for the vid

[@flygirlfly]

The old blue line "California " stop once serviced the workers at Anderson Forge & Magikist. It's now a ghost platform.

[@mgk920]

That's where the never-built Lake subway would have connected. There was some brainstorming a few years ago about connecting a potential future near westside 'outer loop' subway/L line there, but nothing concrete.

[@jbobbster]

All of those former stops you mentioned have all been demolished. There's barely any remnants left. The 58th St. station was the last to go, demolished in early 2012. You can see a tiny remnant of platform left for the Wentworth Station if you're driving on the Dan Ryan. The thing is that the closing of Wentworth and Harvard has created a two-mile gap between the Garfield station on the Green Line to Halsted Station on the Ashland branch. Really, the Ashland Branch just has 2 stations.

[@Robbi496]

Still some "fully intact" closed stations on the Blue Line. Central, Kostner and California

[@Chitwn81]

Nah not likely it's the last of it's kind so I think it will stay....more for historical purposes than any other thing. I wished they reopened it. It is the only station left on the line fully intact.

[@BenAliGtor]

At one time the CTA ran a limited freight service on the western-most track between Montrose (ground level interchange with the CMStP&P) and Howard, serving a few coal yards. They had a gauntlet track at Wilson so that the wider coal hoppers would clear the passenger platform. May have been at Howard as well, not sure: I was about 7 when it stopped.

[@jimwalsh233]

The name of that coal Yard was Lill

[@HarvestmanMan]

This is fascinating!

[@karlpiepenburg3157]

Great video. I think you'll also find abandoned stations on the Skokie line and on the paulina connector.

[@BoratWanksta]

For the Yellow Line/Skokie Swift, all that remain are tiny platform remaints of a few of those former stations before CTA took over operation on that line in the 1960s. The main example I can think of on that line that has a remaint of from when there was a station once there(and right as the grade portion begins with street crossings), is between East Prairie and Crawford(3900 and 4000 west) where there was an island platform serving trains in both directions. If you take a look on Google Street View(Crawford looking east, and East Prairie looking west), you'll see what I mean. Also if you look between the 2 tracks where the Yellow Line runs over Dodge Avenue, that used to be a former platform. CTA demolished what was left of that platform, in I believe the 1990s. And based on looking at a satellite image on Google, a tiny portion of the westbound only platform at Asbury remains. BTW, the CTA has thrown around the idea of rebuilding a station at Dodge in Evanston, a la what they did at Oakton Ave. in Skokie a few years ago. Also if you ride the Pink Line to its western end at 54th/Cermak, you can see the station house and(I believe) a tiny bit of the old station that used to stand at Laramie, before 54th/Cermak's platform was lengthened when all stations between Polk and 54th/Cermak were rehabbed while it was a Blue Line branch. Finally, if you ride the Green Line south on the Englewood branch(erm, Ashland today) to 63rd/Ashland, you can see a platform remaint for the old east(north)bound platform at Wentworth, about at the point where it crosses over the Dan Ryan Expressway. Also at Racine, the former platform there totally stands. Neither of those 2 stations has had service, since before the Green Line was rehabbed in the 1990s. Don't forget if you ride the Blue Line west to Desplaines Ave(Forest Park today), the train goes right by former station platforms that still totally stand at California, Kostner, and Central.

[@jajuan323]

No the old Washington walkway between the Washington stations of the Blue and Red Lines never reopened. CTA closed it permanently after they made the decision to permanently close and shutter the Washington Red Line stop a couple years after your video was recorded if I'm not mistaken. It has been replaced though, as you noted, by the old Washington Street pedway, giving passengers the option of transferring for free between the Washington Blue Line stop and the Lake Street Red Line stop (which years ago used to be the northern half of the Washington Red Line station before CTA restructured them as two separate stations, easily done from the Red Line line subway stations from Lake to Jackson being one continuous platform) as long as they have a farecard similar to how the Lake Street Red Line station already gave access to a farecard free connection to the State/Lake Elevated station.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

Washington is not permanently closed.

[@jajuan323]

MPIEMDRailfan Yes the Washington Red Line station is permanently closed for all intents and purposes despite the official "temporarily closed" designation. The City of Chicago has even converted a number of the old mezzanines into flowerbed planters back in 2010 due to CTA deciding not to reopen the station any time soon due to work on the station having come to a halt by that point due to the Block 37 superstation plans getting mothballed. The only thing that actually exists of Washington is its old northern half, which in today's time is now the Lake Street stop for that rail line. Look at any Chicago Transit Authority rail system or full transit system map from today, and you will not find a Washington station for the Red Line even with a "temporarily closed" footnote as it used to have because the station has been closed for a decade.as of this past October 23 with CTA still having no plans to reopen the station for the foreseeable future six years after the agency first announced it had no plans to reopen it any time soon. So we locals pretty much have accepted that the station closure in an unofficial and practical sense is pretty much permanent, similar to how a bus or train car placed on long term hold by the agency's verbiage is effectively retired because they almost never go back into service after that and just sit unused until the rest of the series for that vehicle is retired out of transit service.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

jajuan323 I guess it is technically permanently closed. However, the CTA could change their minds and reopen the station with little notice.

[@keyshawnscott12]

TheBoeingRailroader nope its temperately abandoned

[@rhopnda123]

yes58th was a station on the cta green line but it closed in 1994

[@pancudowny]

I'm not surprised the Kostner station is boarded-up, because a late friend used to go to that neighborhood to get her drug "fix"... before she [thankfully] forced herself to detox.

[@casperfriendly47]

Great documentation! However, would be better if You Tube's "stabilize" editing feature were used -- the handheld camerawork was too bumpy for me to watch very long.

[@kevinkane5911]

Surprised no one has mentioned the far west side track and platform at Wilson used to be for the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee RR

[@Robbi496]

AWESOME CSTUFF!

[@anonymike8280]

Englewood, here I come. Used to ride this line back in the day.

[@HarvestmanMan]

Quick question: what was the third portal of the tunnel at 16:25 used for?

[@keyshawnscott12]

16:57 my favorite abandoned blue line station central

[@henrys3629]

I have a Washington (W) to Midway/to Linden sign in my garage. From the 90's? Not sure where it was used exactly.

[@thesinglemathnerd]

10:36 There is a tunnel identical to this one on the Blue Line.

[@Robbi496]

Sorry for the double post, but believe the Washington Red Line Stop has re-opened in 2015?

[@chytown2k]

I never knew about the state street station on the green line, but I lived one block west of state street on that line. I used to catch the green line at Wentworth to go to Dunbar High School, used the Racine station to go to work, Moo&Oink, and you know you in the Dearborn St. subway when you hear music playing people playing real instruments. Awesome video. Thanks for the memories....P.S. What was the building on the right by the old State St. station on the green line? used to get gas ther

[@martincruz8319]

Thankfully, the Damen Stop on the Green Line will be back in 2024. For those wanting to go to Bulls and Blackhawks games, as well as major concerts, will have another option for traveling to the United Center. 🎉

[@PRHILL9696]

I always wondered about that myself. In fact I saw it yesterday and still am not sure what that is for.

[@lylecosmopolite]

Chicago has snow on the ground for about 3 months. The temperature is often below 10F. Nearly all buildings were built WWI. There are many vacant lots where buildings have been torn down. 5:45: we cross the Dan Ryan. No connection to the line running down the middle of it. Englewood branch of the Green line runs through one of the most violent neighbourhoods in Chicago. Until 1956, 43rd and Indiana was a transfer point to a branch line that served the stock yards, which closed in 1971.

[@JoeVanOh]

What was that man doing at 12:00?

[@Robbi496]

But of course, the Morgan Station and the Oakton-Skokie Station have been rebuilt!

[@erikhong1174]

Loved The Video! I was on some of those lines in the 60's. That Cold, and Snow; re-enforces My "Living in Florida!" [ LET'S SEE; IT GOT ALL OF THE WAY DOWN TO 28 Degrees, Here in 2015!] (Nope/ I like Warm!)

[@Thom1560]

Good rib house at the wentworth stop.

[@16989473]

what did that guy say at the end

[@kles44]

hey great video. I was wondering, on the blue line just before Clark and lake, there seems to be an abandoned tunnel or something. anyone know anything about it?

[@adam_valx2]

kles44 I've noticed it too!

[@tacojosh3981]

it was meant to connect it to the Lake Street Elevated back in the day but it never happened. The tunnels would rise up to ground level and then connect to the L around Clinton. If you've ever check a map, the Blue Line runs directly under Lake until to hits Milwaukee which is where those unused tunnels are at.

[@baileydrain]

I did not really see a point of abandoning Washington on the Red Line, I want to go and see it. Is it right next to lake?

[@BoratWanksta]

Washington was abandoned, only because they relocated that station to Lake. Which was, use the north part of the Washington platform for this purpose. I'm pretty sure the reason they did this, was due to the opening of the Block 37 shopping mall(the mezzaine takes you on a path that goes through this mall's lower level, which is open to transferring CTA customers 24/7), and because of construction of the Block 37 express train superstation to O'Hare that was later mothballed and never completed. You can still walk into the old platform of Washington between Lake and Monroe 24/7 and explore it if you're bored(although almost nothing is left from those days except for old entrances/exits), along with also seeing the unused part between Monroe and Jackson. There are no barriers stopping you from doing that, and no signs prohibiting this btw!

[@doomsys]

Thats crazy

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

This station is only temporarily closed when Block 37 develops it'll reopen

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

+Lengendary Da youngest king Washington actually will reopen.

[@slobgrx]

@@MPIEMDRailfan4 and they never did...

[@tammygouletschrader8785]

No longer a stop and the stairs are now covered by huge white wood boxes and the entrances at street level are paved over and dirt on top with plants and flowers

[@SamSitar]

they should extend the pink line.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

+Sam Sitar I think a Red Line extension to Blue Island is better.

[@tylerhendrix14]

MPIEMDRailfan They are extending it to 130th.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

Tyler Hendrix I know.

[@MPIEMDRailfan4]

58th was demolished in 2012.

[@robk7266]

this video was created in 2011. he made this video just in time.

[@oforid2227]

One of them is California on the blue line

[@michaelglass4701]

cool

[@mikkrn]

impressively.......

[@Thom1560]

Ticket agent 63/racine. I called it my summer cottage

[@keyshawnscott12]

12:24 Washington/state closed escalator and stairway

[@devinwg6777]

anyone know the history of that snow covered abandoned elevated track at 21:54 ? The one behind that building with the garage? At the same height of the red brick wall? Pleaae someone tell me I'm desperate!

[@blebailly]

It was part of an old Milwaukee Road freight service. The westernmost track between Wilson and Howard was shared by the southbound Evanston Express (now Purple Express) and freight service which operated at night and on weekends. The Lill Coal yard located near the Berwyn Red Line station was one of the customers. The section of track you spotted is just south of where the freight service switched to its own track. After crossing Montrose the tracks descended to grade (ground) level just south of Montrose. The bridge that crossed Montrose was moved to the Illinois Railway Museum. The was a rail yard between Montrose and Irving Park called the Buena Yard. The Buena Yard is now a park at the north end and a parking lot for Cubs games at the south end. I believe the freight service ended in the 1970's. You can find more if you Google: Freight Service Chicago-L.org

[@johnkawano53]

Freight service ended in 1975.

[@GayTier1Operator]

this guy is brave

[@lylecosmopolite]

Once the line down the middle of the Dan Ryan was built 50 years ago, the Green Line south of the loop became an anachronism, except that it serves IIT, and stops within 1 dangerous block of the southern edge of the University of Chicago. Otherwise, the south side Green Line runs through one of the dreariest slums in the USA. The west side, however, had a worse reputation for violence.

[@rhopnda123]

the cta 58th station is closed for good

[@a81517]

Cermak is Cer-Back!

[@Verbeke7]

"Jaws Zoom" at 18:52

[@claudinebernadettejimdar1681]

Are we losing some teams out there? I’d anybody aware of Cityside university? It’s the economics of life. Cityside education is not like suburban education. I’m all honesty, this should have Been a military upgrade. Something to drive the economy. It wasn’t supposed to die off.

[@Nachtwolf1]

Haha yes, I suppose it is!

[@rhopnda123]

washington was abandond in 2006

[@rhopnda123]

cta green line

[@wawaa-oc3yq]

I dont see the isabella station whats bro ralking about

[@doomsys]

Jafu

[@edwardlanum3062]

leave the sound on mute when you listen. especially if you hate the sound of an unsteady camera like me

[@Robbi496]

A 'new" stop at Lake/Damen coming. The dead returns :)

[@johnkawano53]

In a similar vein, I still don't understand why they opened a station at Morgan and Lake when they could've simply reestablished the Halsted and Lake station.

[@Chitwn81]

Same thing I said but the fact that the Fulton Market district is west of Halsted made Morgan prime real estate for the placement of that station....similar to what they did with constructing a new station at Conservatory/Garfield Park instead of Homan.....the park made the station more likely to be used for tourists. Morgan actually has alot of riders too. I reckon when they build Damen and Lake it will get alot of use during concerts and Bulls/Blackhawks game since it's a 3 block walk to the united center and much less than paying $20-40 for parking.

[@thechicagorailfan9234]

Yeah but it was projected to be completed this year and so far I haven't heard much from it. But it's the government and delayed projects as always

[@amandadenig7752]

Love this vid. It really captures the Chicago feel of cold Steel and concrete. It really captures what public transportation and passenger train travel has become in the US. It needs to be updated and revitalized. Only we as riders can do that. Again cool vid. And as a side bar... obviously this person recording had authorization to make a movie or he/ she knew where to go and not to go prior to recording.