Chicago Amtrak Station History

[denmarks]

Even though I was born in Chicago I never visited the train station until after I moved to the west coast. I passed through Chicago in 1977, 1990, and 2004 on train trips. In 1977 I went to a computer conference and stayed in a hotel that I believe was on Michigan Ave. I was able to walk from the station to the hotel with a suitcase.

I am pretty certain that the station was further north and east than the current location. Did Amtrak use another station in the past? When was it changed? Where was it? Is it still there? What was the current station used for? Or is my memory just all mixed up?

 

[Guest]

Since Amtrak took over in 71 all the trains have run out of Union Station. However, Chicago being a hotbed of rail travel there were other stations that were in use prior to Amtrak including Central Station, Dearborn Station, La Salle Street Station and NorthWestern Station.

Now the Rock Island kept operation trains out of La Salle Street a while longer, so that might be what you are remembering?

 

[efin98]

Could the station have been Randolph Street Staton of the Illinois Central Railroad's electric division? That is right on Michigan Avenue and IIRC it's former owner used to own a station farther up Michigan Avenue from the station(Central Station IIRC?).

 

[P40Power]

Well I know that some eastern bound Amtrak trains used Central Station for a short time before the station was closed down in March of 1972.

 

[denmarks]

When was the office building built over the current station's tracks?

 

[MrFSS]

Here is a link to a short history of all the Chicago RR stations.

Chicago Stations