Metra oddity

[SHKarlson]

Blue Island.  Rock Island Suburban Line and Illinois Central Blue Island Branch turn there.  Rock Island Main Line to Joliet passes through there.  There used to be some good ethnic food stores within walking distance of the stations, which are close together.  Worth exploring on a weekend pass.

[MILW205]

The Western Avenue station is not a major downtown station and has three lines: Milwaukee North, Milwaukee West, and North Central.  This may not address your point, but it's technically true.

[ndbprr]

I don't see where the funds are going to come from to build the new section.  Illinois can't even fund what they have now and the CTA is about to go under.  I guess my point is by the time this gets built, if it ever does, it will probably be  fifty years from now.

[daveklepper]

Thus, could it operate to the Joliet Union Station?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

See this link regarding Metra's STAR Line proposal:

http://metraconnects.metrarail.com/star.php

Note that it does not extend east of Joliet.

[ndbprr]

Any idea of what the plan for Joliet is?  It would make sense to have a transfer station where the RI and EJ&E cross.  Otherwise the EJ&E is quite a way from Union Stationand hard to get to.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

If the Circle line is established, Joliet would be in a similar situation, although the Heritage line and the Rock Island District both terminate at Joliet Union Depot.

[ndbprr]

Does anyone know of a town other than the major downtown Chicago stations that has three separate Metra line that run through it?  If the circle route on the EJ&E eventually gets off the ground New Lenox, Illinois will have three separate stations.  Currently one is at Cedar and route 30 to serve the Rock Island line to Lasalle Street.  One is at Laraway and Cedar on the Ex Wabash line to serve Union Station and the third will be half way between to serve the EJ&E loop around Chicago.  Not bad for a town of 25,000 people.