During the heyday of rail transportation in the first half of the 20th century, Chicago, Illinois, reigned as the undisputed railroad center of the United States and was served by six intercity train terminals at its peak. With the decline of passenger rail in the United States, service was consolidated at Union Station with inter-city Amtrak trains. Commuter railroad Metra continues passenger service at LaSalle Street Station, Millennium Station, and Ogilvie Transportation Center, as well as Union Station. Three Metra services are operated by the Union Pacific Railroad, while another is operated by the BNSF Railway. The South Shore Line, an independent commuter/interurban line operates out of Millennium Station. Most of the terminals that were in the downtown area were called the "Chicago Loop". Ogilvie Station and Union Station were west of the Chicago River and the Loop; Wells Station was north of the river and the Loop.

The table below shows all railroads that have served downtown Chicago and what terminal they used.

Services partially replaced by or wholly discontinued with Amtrak are marked in Bold.

RailroadsSuccessor railroadUnion(PRR)C&NW / Ogilvie(C&NW)Randolph / Millennium(IC)LaSalle Street(CRI&P)Central(IC)Dearborn(C&WI)Grand Central(WC/C&NP)Great Central(IC)Other stationsWells Street(C&NW)Canal StreetBNSF Railway (Metra branded)–1995–presentUnion Pacific Railroad (Metra branded)Metra1995–2025Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District–1990–presentMetra–1984–present2025–present1987–present1984–presentNorfolk Southern RailwayMetra1982–1993Regional Transportation AuthorityMetra1982–19841981–1984ConrailAmtrak1976–1979Illinois Central Gulf RailroadMetra1972–19871972–1987Amtrak–1971–present1971–1972Burlington Northern RailroadBNSF1970–1995Louisville and Nashville Railroad–1969–1971Penn Central Transportation CompanyAmtrak, Conrail1968–197619681968–1971Norfolk and Western RailwayNS1976–19821964–19651964–1976Erie Lackawanna Railway–1960–1970Monon Railroad–1956–1971Gulf, Mobile and Ohio RailroadAmtrak, ICG1947–1972Alton RailroadGM&O1931–1947Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadAmtrak, RTA1928–1982Chicago South Shore and South Bend RailroadNICTD1925–19901925–1972Chesapeake and Ohio Railway–1969–19711925–19331922–19251947–1969Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis RailroadPRR1917–1921New York Central RailroadPC1914–19681930–1968Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad–1910–1963Chesapeake and Ohio Railway of IndianaC&O19101910–1922Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad–1910–c. 1915Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie RailroadMetra (1996)1909–1912, 1963–19651912–1963Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend RailwayCSS&SB1909–19251909–1925Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville RailroadC&O of Indiana1907–1910Chicago, Indiana and Southern RailroadNYC1906–1914Pere Marquette RailwayC&O1904–1947Indiana Harbor RailroadCI&S1904–1906Grand Trunk Western Railroad–1897–1971Chicago Terminal Transfer RailroadB&OCT1897–1910Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville RailwayMonon1897–1956Chicago Great Western Railway–1892–1893, 1894–19551893–1894Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City RailroadCGW1892Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe RailwayAmtrak1890–1971Erie RailroadEL1890–1960Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis RailwayPCC&St.L Railroad1890–1917Chicago and Northern Pacific RailroadCTT1890–1897Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis RailwayNYC1893–19301889–1893Chicago and Great Western RailroadC&NP1889–1890Chicago, Santa Fe and California RailwayAT&SF1888–1890Wabash RailroadN&W1887–1964Wisconsin Central RailwayMStP&SSM1900–19091887–1900Louisville, New Albany, and Chicago RailwayCI&L1885–1897Baltimore and Ohio Railroad–1969–19711892–19691883–1892Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh RailroadPCC&StL1883–1890New York, Chicago and St. Louis RailroadN&W1883–1892, 1898–19641882–1883, 1892–1898Chicago and Grand Trunk RailwayGTW1885–18971880–1885Chicago and Atlantic RailwayC&E1885–18901880–1885Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago RailwayCCC&StL1880–1889Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific RailwayWabash1885–18871880–1885Chicago and Eastern Illinois RailroadL&N1904–19131885–1904, 1913–19691877–1885Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul RailwayCMStP&P1874–1928Cincinnati, Lafayette and Chicago RailroadCIStL&C1872–1880Chicago and Pacific RailroadWStL&P1872–1879Milwaukee and St. Paul RailwayCM&StP1872–1874Pennsylvania CompanyPRR1871–1918Pennsylvania RailroadPCo / PC1869–1871, 1921–1968Lake Shore and Michigan Southern RailwayNYC1869–1914Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis RailwayCStL&P1882–18831869–1882Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central RailwayPC&St.L1868–1869Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific RailroadC&NW1866–1980Chicago and Great Eastern RailwayCC&IC1866–1868Chicago and Rock Island RailroadCRI&P1866Chicago and Alton RailroadAlton1863–19311862–1863Chicago and North Western RailwayNIRC, UP1911–19951980–19811871–187X187X–19111859–1890Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago RailwayPRR1861–18691858–1861St. Louis, Alton and Chicago RailroadChicago & Alton1857–1862Joliet and Chicago Railroad / Chicago and Mississippi RailroadSt.LA&C1856–1857Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadBN1881–19701856–18811855–1856Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana RailroadLS&MS1866–18691855–1866Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac RailroadC&NW1855–1859Northern Indiana RailroadMS&NI1855Illinois and Wisconsin RailroadCSt.P&FdL1854–1855Chicago and Milwaukee RailwayC&NW1853–1869Illinois Central RailroadAmtrak, ICG1893–19721893–19711856–18931852–1856Michigan Central RailroadNYC1893–19301856–18931852–1856Chicago and Aurora RailroadCB&Q1852–1855Northern Indiana and Chicago RailroadNorthern Indiana1852–1855Aurora Branch RailroadChicago & Aurora1850s–18521849–1850sGalena and Chicago Union RailroadC&NW1856–18571852–1869 1848–1852

NOTE: From 1883 to 1892, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had a depot between Madison and Monroe Streets, trackage rights via the Illinois Central Railroad.

The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad ("Nickel Plate Road") used the Illinois Central Railroad local station at 22nd Street in 1882, and the B&O depot in 1883.

Future tenants of Dearborn Station used the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad depot at 12th and State between 1880 and 1885.

The Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway used its own depot before gaining access to 12th and State depot in 1882.

The Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern Railway, later part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("Milwaukee Road"), never had passenger service in the Chicago area.

The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad and the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad used tracks of the Chicago "L", specifically the Loop Elevated and Wells Street Terminal.

The Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway had a terminal at Archer Avenue and Cicero Avenue.

In the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire, a C&NW freight depot at State and Water Streets was used as a temporary passenger depot since Wells Street Station had burned.

"Canal Street" refers to two depots: the C&NW depot (former Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad) and the original Galena and Chicago Union Railroad depot (later used by the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway). Both burned in 1871, only the C&NW depot was rebuilt.

Notes

About the BNSF Line

About the Union Pacific-operated Metra lines

About the SouthWest Service

About Metra

About the Regional Transportation Authority

References