Chicago Union Station
City: Chicago
Union Station is the Chicago terminus for many Metra and Amtrak trains. It is one of four Metra terminals in the Chicago Loop area. The others are Chicago Millennium Station, Chicago LaSalle St Station, and Ogilvie Transportation Center, which are within a 15-20 minute walking distance.
Union Station features the historic Great Hall with a walkway leading to the underground station concourse. Stub-end train platforms are located north and south of the station concourse. Restaurants, shops, and counters for car rental are located in the concourse area.
Entrances from streets are located along the perimeter of the Great Hall and by the Chicago River at Adams and Jackson.
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Points of interest
The Union Station is the busiest terminal among the other Metra terminals in the Loop area.
Metra ticket counter is located in the concourse. A $5 surcharge is applied to tickets purchased onboard Metra trains when boarding at this station.
MD-N Milwaukee District North, MD-W Milwaukee District West, and NCS North Central Service lines board from the tracks on the north side of the concourse (odd track numbers from #1 to #25).
BNSF Burlington Northern, HC Heritage Corridor, and SWS Southwest Service lines board from tracks on the south side of the concourse (even track numbers from #2 to #30).
Monitors by the platform entrance and throughout the station show the track number and time for departing trains.
This stop is in fare zone 1.
Metra lines at Chicago Union Station | ||||
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Adjacent stop | Adjacent stop | |||
Western Ave North to Fox Lake
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◀ | MD-N Milwaukee District North | ▶ | Terminus
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Western Ave West to Elgin
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◀ | MD-W Milwaukee District West | ▶ | |
Western Ave North to Antioch
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◀ | NCS North Central Service | ▶ | |
Halsted West to Aurora
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◀ | BNSF Burlington Northern | ▶ | |
Summit West to Joliet
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◀ | HC Heritage Corridor | ▶ | |
Wrightwood West to Manhattan
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◀ | SWS Southwest Service | ▶ |
Chicago is 4th busiest Amtrak stations in the country. It is a hub for trains to and from the West Coast and the East Coast.
Amtrak ticket office and QuikTrak machines are located in the Great Hall. Riders on long distance trains (and other trains that require a reservation) need to check in and receive a boarding pass to board the train. Baggage check in is located in the concourse area.
Business class and Sleeping car customers can use the Metropolitan lounge near the Great Hall. Seniors, families with young children, and active duty military personnel can use the south boarding lounge in the concourse level. Other passengers wait in the Great Hall with their assigned boarding group and be directed by station personnel to the platform.
Empire Builder and Hiawatha trains depart on the north (odd number) tracks. All other trains depart on the south (even number) tracks.
- Amtrak station code: CHI [1]
Amtrak lines at Chicago Union Station | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Adjacent stop | Adjacent stop | |||
Glenview West to Seattle, Portland
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◀ | Empire Builder | ▶ | Terminus
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Glenview West to Twin Cities
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◀ | Borealis | ▶ | |
Glenview North to Milwaukee
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◀ | Hiawatha | ▶ | |
Naperville West to Emeryville (San Francisco)
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◀ | California Zephyr | ▶ | |
Naperville West to Kansas City, Los Angeles
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◀ | Southwest Chief | ▶ | |
La Grange West to Quincy
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◀ | Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg | ▶ | |
Joliet South to St. Louis, San Antonio, Los Angeles
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◀ | Texas Eagle | ▶ | |
Summit South to St. Louis
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◀ | Lincoln Service | ▶ | |
Homewood South to New Orleans
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◀ | City of New Orleans | ▶ | |
Homewood South to Carbondale
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◀ | Illini/Saluki | ▶ | |
Terminus
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◀ | Cardinal | ▶ | Dyer East to Indianapolis, New York
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◀ | Lake Shore Limited | ▶ | South Bend East to Cleveland, New York, Boston
| |
◀ | Capitol Limited | ▶ | South Bend East to Cleveland, Washington DC
| |
◀ | Wolverine | ▶ | Hammond-Whiting East to Pontiac
| |
◀ | Blue Water | ▶ | New Buffalo East to Port Huron
| |
◀ | Pere Marquette | ▶ | St. Joseph-Benton Harbor East to Grand Rapids
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