The depot had cost nearly $500,000 and had to be rebuilt in the mid-1920s following a severe fire that damaged the tower. In addition, a 700-foot train shed extended behind the head house. The pink granite structure, located at the corner of what is today West Polk Street and South Plymouth Court, was only three stories tall but featured a magnificent center clock tower standing nearly 200 feet over the surrounding landscape. The oldest of Chicago's great terminals, Dearborn opened on designed in the Romanesque Revival style by architect Cyrus L. Today, the location is known as the Ogilvie Transportation Center and still served by Metra. The three story building had cost $20 million and remained largely unchanged until 1984 when the headhouse was razed to construct the 42-story Citicorp Center. Overall, the station was served by 16 staging tracks covered by an 894-foot long train shed. To help improve traffic flow North Western Terminal featured dual concourses the upper-level hosted long-distance passenger trains while a street-level facility was tailored for commuters. The main waiting room was roughly 200 feet long featuring an 84-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling. Inside was the building's main concourse along with dressing rooms, baths, and a doctor's office. The new facility was located at Madison and Canal Streets featuring five beautiful Corinthian columns on the main façade flanked by decorative clocks above them. Another $20 million has been spent by Amtrak to improve the tracks, signals and dispatching systems for Amtrak and Metra trains to and from the station.Sometimes referred to as North Western Station this facility was Chicago & North Western's primary terminal in the Windy City until the railroad finally discontinued all passenger and commuter services during the 1970s.ĭesigned by architects Frost & Granger (Charles Sumner Frost and Alfred Hoyt Granger) in the Renaissance Revival style it opened for service in 1911 and replaced Wells Street Station. In total, Amtrak has invested more than $60 million of its own scarce capital funds in the station since 2010, including the Headhouse Building, Great Hall and the Concourse Level. The natural light that fills the Great Hall is once again how it was originally envisioned. The Grand Staircases in the Great Hall (made famous in the movie The Untouchables) have been restored and upgraded to modern accessibility standards.Īfter decades of drainage challenges, the Great Hall skylight has been restored to its original splendor – and strengthened to modern standards – with its unveiling in November 2018. Its adjacent original barber shop now can be used for small events. The original grand dining room for the station has been restored and brought to life as the Legacy Club and is also available for private events. The second floor of the Lounge – the Pennsylvania Room – can be rented for events. The Metropolitan Lounge is a place for Amtrak's first class and sleeping car passengers to restore themselves at the start, middle, or end of any trip (and is also available to other Amtrak passengers for a daily fee). Amtrak created a new Metropolitan Lounge in historic space off of the Great Hall. The Women's Lounge, with its ornate ceiling and dramatic murals, was restored and turned into a private event space (the Burlington Room). Since 2012, Amtrak has painstakingly restored numerous spaces in and around the Great Hall. As Chicago Union Station approaches it's one hundredth year, we have been working hard to re-envision and restore areas throughout the station to a level that suits 21st century living.
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