AAR Radio Channel 82 - 161.340
The Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, later the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, opened this line in 1852. The bankruptcy of the Rock Island eventually resulted in this line being the first to be completely owned and operated by Metra. The first several miles of the line parallels the Dan Ryan Expressway, which includes a rapid transit line in its median strip. It was the 1969 opening of the rapid transit line which eventually led to the demise of several inner city stops on the Rock Island line. Metra's first stop now is Gresham, which is the junction for the branch line through the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Chicago. Most trains travel via this branch line, making stops every four blocks through a scenic residential area. The branch line rejoins the main line in Blue Island at Vermont Street. The main line in that area has rush hour service only, but it can be ridden by railfans without too much difficulty. Vermont Street is a popular train watching spot, and is also the end of the Metra Electric Blue Island branch. For variety, one can ride one line going and the other line returning. The Metra Electric branch does not operate on Sundays. Another popular train watching spot in Blue Island is the Grand Trunk crossing, about a mile southwest of Vermont Street. To get there from the Metra station, walk west to Western Avenue, south over a river bridge, down a stairway to Broadway, and west on Broadway to the crossing. The Metra line southwest of Blue Island passes mainly through newer suburbs and undeveloped areas on its way to Joliet. Joliet has a classic old restored station at the crossing with the Santa Fe and the Illinois Central (ex Gulf Mobile and Ohio) main lines, and is a popular train watching spot. Joliet is the seat of Will County, and the new court house is one block west of the station. And a few blocks west of the court house is the Des Plaines River, and the Harrah's casino boat. During rush hours, Joliet is also served by the Metra Heritage Corridor trains. Freight action on the Rock Island District is light and is provided by three railroads which had acquired former Rock Island trackage. Chicago Rail Link (CRL) provides local freight service in the Chicago area using trackage rights, while CSX and Iowa Interstate have trackage rights over Metra to reach the former Rock Island trackage west of Joliet. CSX now owns the former Rock Island main line trackage from Joliet to Utica. And Iowa Interstate has trackage rights over CSX, owning the old main line west of Utica to Omaha.
Direction is westward from Chicago to Joliet
0.0 CHICAGO/LA SALLE STREET
0.3 Polk Street (remote-terminal dispatcher)
0.5 Taylor Street (remote-terminal dispatcher)
1.1 16th Street (tower/IC crossing)
3.9 Root Street (junction-CRL/remote-terminal dispatcher)
4.6 47th Street (remote-terminal dispatcher)
5.3 53rd Street (remote-terminal dispatcher)
6.4 61st Street
6.7 Englewood (NS crossing/remote-terminal dispatcher)
7.2 Normal Park
7.8 Hamilton Park
8.6 Auburn Park
9.8 GRESHAM
9.9 Gresham Jct.(tower/junction-CRL)
10.9 LONGWOOD MANOR
12.0 WASHINGTON HEIGHTS
12.9 Givins
14.4 Purington
15.7 BLUE ISLAND-VERMONT STREET (tower)
15.9 Western Avenue Jct.(junction/remote-Blue Island)
17.2 ROBBINS (junction-CSX/remote-Blue Island)
18.2 CP Midlothian
18.4 MIDLOTHIAN
20.4 OAK FOREST
23.2 CP 66th Court (remote-road dispatcher)
23.5 TINLEY PARK
25.1 80TH AVENUE
27.2 HICKORY CREEK
29.6 MOKENA
29.6 CP Mokena (remote-road dispatcher)
34.0 NEW LENOX
35.5 CP 35.5 (remote-road dispatcher)
38.9 EJ&E Crossing (remote-road dispatcher)
39.5 CP Miller Street (remote-road dispatcher)
39.9 CP Richards Street (remote-UD Tower)
40.1 UD Tower (UP/BNSF crossing)
40.2 JOLIET
9.9 Gresham Jct.(tower/junction-Chicago Rail Link)
10.6 BRAINERD
11.0 Beverly Jct.
11.3 BEVERLY HILLS-91ST STREET
11.7 BEVERLY HILLS-95TH STREET
12.3 BEVERLY HILLS-99TH STREET
12.8 BEVERLY HILLS-103RD STREET
13.3 BEVERLY HILLS-107TH STREET
13.8 MORGAN PARK-111TH STREET
14.3 MORGAN PARK-115TH STREET
14.8 BLUE ISLAND-119TH STREET
15.2 BLUE ISLAND-123RD STREET
15.6 CP 15.6
15.8 BLUE ISLAND-PRAIRIE STREET
16.4 BLUE ISLAND-VERMONT STREET
16.6 Western Avenue Jct.(junction/remote-Blue Island)
3 tracks from Polk Street to 16th Street, Controlled Block System in use.
2 tracks from 16th Street to Richards Street, CTC and Controlled Block System in use. Cab signals in use between Purington and Richards Street.
1 track from Richards Street to Joliet, Controlled Block System in use.
2 tracks from Gresham Jct. to Western Avenue Jct. via Beverly Hills, time spacing in use.
Dispatchers are located at Metra's Consolidated Control Facility. The terminal dispatcher is on duty weekdays only, one dispatcher controls the entire line nights and weekends.
Speed Limits:
Chicago-Root Street: 55 mph
Root Street-Englewood: 70 mph
Englewood-Gresham Jct.: 79 mph
Gresham Jct.-Blue Island: 60 mph
Blue Island-Joliet: 79 mph
Gresham Jct.-Western Avenue Jct. via Beverly Hills: 30 mph
Information is subject to change, and is based on observations, along with information from the CORA (Chicago Operating Rules Association) guide dated 2001, and Google satellite imagery.
The following colors are used to indicate types of operation:
BLUE - manual interlocking
RED - centralized traffic control (CTC) or bidirectional signals
GREEN - automatic block signals (single direction, current of traffic)
BLACK - unsignaled
Thin lines across tracks indicate signals. In CTC or bidirectional signal territory, signals usually exist for both directions at all locations, except at interlockings where the signals usually are only in the direction entering the interlocking.
