Canal was a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

station located on the

Metropolitan main line The Metropolitan main line was a rapid transit line of the Chicago "L" system from 1895 to 1958. It ran west from downtown to a junction at Marshfield station. At this point the Garfield Park branch continued westward, while the Douglas Park bran ...

of the Chicago "L". It was in existence from 1895 to 1958, when the entire main line was replaced by the

Congress Line The Blue Line is a Chicago "L" line which extends through The Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and across the West Side to its southwest end ...

located in the median of the nearby

Eisenhower Expressway Interstate 290 (I-290) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that runs westward from the Chicago Loop. The portion of I-290 from I-294 to its east end is officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. In short form, it is known as "the ...

. Starting in 1927, the

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...

Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), known colloquially as the "Roarin' Elgin" or the "Great Third Rail", was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service on its line between Chicago and Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, St. ...

(CA&E) also served the station, continuing until 1953. Throughout the second half of its existence, Canal connected with Chicago's

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

, which was one of the city's rail terminals.

History

The

and

Logan Square branch The Logan Square branch was an elevated rapid transit line of the Chicago "L", where it was one of the branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Diverging north from the Metropolitan's main line west of Marshfield station, it ope ...

commenced operations on May 6, 1895, containing several stations including Canal. The main line was replaced by the

in 1958, and it and its station were demolished accordingly.

was rebuilt in 1925, and the new station included a transfer point to the Canal Street "L" station. The CA&E, which had used the Metropolitan's tracks since 1905, began service to Canal on August 1, 1927, to take advantage of the new connection. This continued until it suspended operations east of Desplaines on September 20, 1953.

Station details

The original station house was destroyed by fire in 1922; the rebuilt design was to an off-white

terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...

design in the Beaux-Arts style by transit architect Arthur U. Gerber. Canal's station house had a stairway descending below to a walkway, which connected passengers to Union Station half a block away. This walkway was separated from Union Station's tracks and platforms by an iron fence, and directed patrons to Union Station's lobby. The circuitousness of this route led to its being dubbed the "frustration walk" for commuters, although it was considered one of the few good areas for

railfan A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter ( Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Rai ...

s to see trains at Union Station at the time. There were two connections between the walkway and the "L" station; patrons going from the "L" would use the station house, whereas those coming from Union Station were led directly to the "L" platforms after going through a special fare collection area.

Notes

References

Defunct Chicago "L" stations {{Former Chicago "L" stations navbox, Metropolitan=Yes