Metra Electric South Chicago Branch at 93rd, Bryn Mawr & 70th

Just a few random shots from today of the South Chicago Branch of the Metra Electric District, formerly the Illinois Central Electric. This line splits from the main line near the abandoned 67th St station, ducks under the northbound tracks and the CN/IC freight tracks in a tunnel, then swings east to run in the middle of 71st St, then Exchange Ave after a swing to the southeast. It follows Commercial Ave and an alley until 83rd St, where it veers across old B&OCT right of way, then parallels Baltimore Ave to its stub-end terminal at 93rd St. At one time there was a non-revenue connection to the NYC tracks (now gone) just to the south.

I get on a northbound train of new Highliner cars at the 93rd St-South Chicago terminal station, then ride to Bryn Mawr. Along the way, between the Windsor Park and South Shore stops, we pass a departing southbound train of older Highliner cars.

Later, just past the Stony Island stop, the tracks swing from east to north and descend into the tunnel under the main line and CN tracks. Where the line crosses 70th St, we see a four-car train pop out of the tunnel and swing around the curve. Lineside, and a northbound train heads to Millennium Station/Randolph Street.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Metra
• Metra Electric
• Metra Electric District
• South Chicago
• South Chicago Branch
• 93rd St
• Bryn Mawr
• 70th
• Highliner
• IC
• Illinois Central
• electric
• commuter
• passenger
• cab-car
• street-running
• Chicago
• rail
• railroad
• railway
• railfan

[sfd210]

I remember that non-revenue connection to the NYC tracks which is gone now. I also remember that there used to be two other tracks on the east side of this station (towards Brandon) for a total of three tracks on the east side. I don't remember whether or not they used these two extra tracks to park trains there overnight. This was in the 1960's before METRA took over from the IC.

[Nachtwolf1]

@sfd210 Interesting. That would explain the abandoned catenary supports south of Cheltenham.

[taylorveldman3832]

Are the stations and train itself fairly safe? I was thinking about riding it, but I don't wanna get killed.

[Nachtwolf1]

@taylorveldman3832 It's pretty safe. I would say that the area it goes through is not safe at night, but in the daytime, you should be perfectly fine. The tracks in 71st St go through a busy commercial strip, so there are always a lot of people out. South of there, things seem a little less safe (abandoned houses and such), but at the end of the line, it's similar to the 71st St area- it's ethnically mixed and rather busy.

[sfd210]

When I was a boy, I remember going with my family to a movie theater at either Stony Island and Seventy-First or Jeffrey and Seventy-First to watch a movie called "Born Free" about some lion. This is the first time I remember seeing the South Chicago Branch line. It would be another year or two before I got to ride on it, though. We were riding on it bcause my parents were taking us downtown to a museum.

[sfd210]

I also remember that when I was there (93rd Street) in 1980, the two extra tracks on the east side of the station had been removed but there was no alley on the east side of the station yet.