RAILROAD OPERATING INFORMATION

UNION PACIFIC

Harvard Subdivision (Illinois)

FORMERLY Chicago & North Western Railway
(Wisconsin Division/Subdivision 4)
CONSTRUCTED 1854 by Illinois & Wisconsin Railway (Chicago-Cary)
CONSTRUCTED 1855 by Chicago St. Paul & Fond Du Lac Railroad (Cary-Harvard)
ABS installed 1892-1893
DOUBLE TRACK constructed 1898-1899
TRIPLE TRACK constructed by 1899 (Clybourn-Mayfair)
TRIPLE TRACK constructed 1929-1930 (Mayfair-Barrington)
AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP installed 1966-1967 (Chicago-Harvard)
AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP deactivated 2019 after installation of Positive Train Control
LAST INTERCITY PASSENGER TRAIN: Chicago-Madison/1959
COMMUTER SERVICE: Metra Union Pacific Northwest Line

At Crystal Lake Jct. is the junction with the McHenry Subdivision, which originally connected with the old Galena Division further south.

CLICK FOR RAILFAN TIPS AND PHOTOS

Radio Frequency - 160.890 (AAR Channel 52) (Chicago-CY)
Radio Frequency - 161.040 (AAR Channel 62) (CY-Harvard)

Stations/Former Stations/Milepost Locations

(Current Metra stops are capitalized)

Direction is northward from Chicago to Harvard

0.0 CHICAGO
0.2 Lake Street (tower)
0.3 Clinton Street
0.5 Northwest Jct.
0.9 Erie
2.7 CY (tower/junction)
2.8 CLYBOURN
2.9 Wood Street
5.2 Avondale Yard
6.7 IRVING PARK
7.6 Mayfair (CP crossing/remote-CY)
8.7 JEFFERSON PARK
9.7 GLADSTONE PARK
11.1 NORWOOD PARK
12.3 EDISON PARK
13.1 PARK RIDGE
14.7 DEE ROAD
16.7 DES PLAINES
17.3 Deval (UP/CN crossing/remote-CY)
18.2 CUMBERLAND
18.5 Seeger (junction-UP/remote-CY)
19.6 MT. PROSPECT
22.5 ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
24.2 ARLINGTON PARK
26.4 PALATINE
31.0 End Three Tracks (remote-dispatcher-Omaha)
31.5 BARRINGTON
31.9 CN Crossing (remote-CN dispatcher)
37.0 FOX RIVER GROVE
38.3 CARY
41.8 PINGREE ROAD
42.5 Crystal Lake Jct. (junction-UP)
42.9 CRYSTAL LAKE
45.7 Ridgefield
51.3 WOODSTOCK
55.7 Hartland
62.8 HARVARD

4 tracks from Clinton Street to CY, signaled for both directions with a Controlled Block System.

3 tracks from CY to Mayfair, signaled for both directions with a Controlled Block System.

3 tracks from Mayfair to Barrington signaled for normal left hand operation, center track signaled for both directions with a Controlled Block System.

2 tracks from Barrington to Harvard, signaled for normal left hand operation.


TRACK DIAGRAM

(Click for diagram of Chicago Terminal*.)

(*The former Chicago & North Western terminal at 500 W. Madison St. has been known by many different names through its history. Including "North Western Station", "Madison Street Station", "Chicago Passenger Station", "Metra Passenger Terminal", and currently "Ogilvie Transportation Center". This lack of a consistent name has resulted in many confused passengers over the years.)


LOST STATIONS (CHICAGO)

LOST STATIONS (OUTLYING)

Known discontinued passenger railroad stations. Includes zoomable Google maps.

INTERLOCKING TOWERS

Past and present towers and interlockings.

INTERLOCKING TOWERS (CHICAGO TERMINAL/OLD)

INTERLOCKING TOWERS (CHICAGO TERMINAL/NEW)

CHICAGO TRACK ELEVATION

City ordinances and history of track elevation in Chicago.