 Van Buren Street Station (Metra/NICTD)Nearby Stations: Millennium Station (Randolph St, Chicago) (Metra/NICTD),Museum Campus / 11th St (Metra), Soldier Field / 18th St (Metra) and McCormick Place / 23rd St (Metra)  The Metra Electric platform at Van Buren Street, shared with the South Shore Line - Westbound South Shore trains stop to drop off passengers on the way in to Chicago, Eastbound South Shore trains stop to make their second pickup on the way out of Chicago. There are two platforms serving three tracks at this station. The west platform, built into the side wall, is for outbound trains leaving downtown - the island platform is for arrivals from inbound trains. The other side of the island platform is for Track 2 and trains travel either direction on this track. The photo above was taken in 1998 facing southwest showing the high level portion of the platform. The southern portion of the platform can serve low level boarding trains. Construction is underway as Metra is remodeling the station at Van Buren St, changing entrances and adding a second elevator from the station level to the street level above. As part of the remodel, NICTD is paying for a fourth main track to be installed and provide a second track into the Millenium Station complex to the north. The fourth track will have its own high level platform at Van Buren St. The fourth main will replace the second track from the platform in the picture above with the platform on the photographer's side of the track. The storage tracks have been removed and will be replaced by new storage tracks to the east (left in the photo above) and will provide additional storage space for Metra and NICTD trains. | |
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| Overhead from the south ... Track 1 and Track 2. (2002) | Overhead from the south ... Track 3 and the storage track. (2002) |
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| Tracks 1 and 2 from platform level. (2011) | Track 3 and the storage track from platform level. (2011) |
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| Looking south along the main outbound platform on Track 1. Track 1 is used for most outbound trains. (2011) |
The low level platform at the south end of the station. Note the extended length of the platform on Track 1 which allows multiple trains to stop at the platform at the same time. (2011) |
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| Benches in the waiting area near Track 1. (2012) | An information booth and standing room only waiting area near Track 1. (2012) |
| Van Buren St Storage Track Expansions In 2002, the storage tracks at Van Buren St consisted of one track extending south to 11th St for Metra trains and two tracks for NICTD trains. The longest track extended south to Congress St (Ida B Wells Dr) and a shorter track extended to Jackson St.  The NICTD storage tracks were expanded in 2015-2016, adding a second track next to the Van Buren St station platforms and extending the shorter track that ended at Jackson St and the new track past Congress St. All three NICTD tracks were also connected to the Metra storage track as shown. In 2024 work began on rebuilding the station at Van Buren St including the upgrade of Track 4 to become a main line track and the addition of a platform on Track 4 primarily for use by NICTD. Work completed in 2024 included building crossovers north of 11th St (Roosevelt Rd station) and connecting track 4 directly to a switch near the station platform instead of requiring trains to use track 3 to reach track 4.  In 2025 work continued. Track 3 was taken out of service and severed to build the pedestrian tunnel to the new platform. The storage yard tracks were removed. The lines above show the planned layout of the new storage tracks. NICTD tracks will extend south past Balbo Dr. A new ladder track is being built for NICTD trains to enter Millennium Station. | |