RAILROAD OPERATING INFORMATION

BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE

Chicago Subdivision

FORMERLY Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route)
(Chicago & Aurora Subdivision)
CONSTRUCTED 1864
DOUBLE TRACK constructed 1864 (Chicago-Riverside)/1872 (Riverside-Aurora)
TRIPLE TRACK constructed 1887 (Chicago-Belmont)/1914-1922 (Belmont-Aurora)
ABS installed 1913
COLOR LIGHT ABS installed 1925
AUTOMATIC CAB SIGNALS installed 1953-1954
CTC installed 1956 (Chicago-La Vergne)
CTC installed 1958 (La Vergne-Congress Park)
CTC installed 1959 (Congress Park-Downers Grove)
CTC installed 1962 (Downers Grove-Eola)
CTC installed 1963 (Eola-West Eola)
CTC installed 1967 (West Eola-Aurora)
AUTOMATIC CAB SIGNALS deactivated 2022 after installation of Positive Train Control in 2018
PASSENGER SERVICE: Metra BNSF/Amtrak Quincy Route

Chicago's second railroad was the Aurora Branch Railroad, which in 1850 began operating between Aurora and West Chicago, connecting with Chicago's first railroad, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad. The Aurora Branch Railroad evolved to the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad, which in 1864 completed its own line between Chicago and Aurora. This line is now one of the area's busiest lines, noted for its three track operation, and being one of the Chicago area's earliest large CTC installations.

CLICK FOR RAILFAN TIPS AND PHOTOS

Radio Frequency - 161.100 (AAR Channel 66)

Stations/Milepost Locations

(Metra stops are capitalized)

Direction is westward from Chicago to Aurora

0.0 CHICAGO
0.8 Roosevelt Road
1.5 Jefferson St.
1.6 Union Ave. B
1.7 Union Ave.
1.8 HALSTED STREET
2.1 Union Ave. A
3.7 WESTERN AVE.
4.1 Western Ave.
4.9 Kedzie
6.5 Cicero B (east end Cicero Yard)
6.8 Cicero West
6.9 CICERO
7.3 Cicero A
8.5 Clyde
9.0 LA VERGNE (west end Cicero Yard)
9.5 BERWYN
10.1 HARLEM AVENUE
11.0 RIVERSIDE
11.8 HOLLYWOOD
12.4 BROOKFIELD
12.6 Congress Park
13.0 CONGRESS PARK
13.7 LA GRANGE
14.0 STONE AVENUE
15.4 WESTERN SPRINGS
16.3 HIGHLANDS
16.6 Highlands
16.8 HINSDALE
17.7 WEST HINSDALE
18.2 CLARENDON HILLS
19.5 WESTMONT
20.3 FAIRVIEW AVENUE
20.6 Fairview Avenue
21.1 DOWNERS GROVE
21.5 Downers Grove
22.8 BELMONT
24.4 LISLE
25.4 Lisle
28.1 East Naperville
28.4 NAPERVILLE
28.8 West Naperville
31.0 ROUTE 59
33.5 Eola
35.4 West Eola (junction-BNSF)
37.3 CP 374
38.4 AURORA (junction-BNSF)

2 tracks from Roosevelt Road to Union Ave., 4 tracks from Union Ave. to Cicero B, 3 tracks from Cicero B to CP 374, 2 tracks from CP 374 to Aurora, 2 tracks from West Eola via lead to Aurora Transportation Center. CTC in use, controlled from Fort Worth, Texas. Union Avenue Dispatcher controls trackage east of La Vergne, and East End Dispatcher controls trackage west of La Vergne. East End Dispatcher controls entire line nights and weekends.

TRACK DIAGRAM

(Click for diagram of Chicago Union Station.)