Central (CTA Purple Line station)

For other stations on the CTA system named Central, see Central (CTA).

Central
Location	1024 Central Street Evanston, Illinois 60201
Coordinates
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line(s)
Platforms	1 Island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	CTA bus
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
History
Opened	May 16, 1908
Rebuilt	1931
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	265,482  1.2%
Rank	139 out of 143
Services
Preceding station   Chicago "L"   Following station Linden Terminus Purple Line Noyes toward Howard or The Loop
Route map Legend Purple Line north to Linden Central St. File:BSicon exleer+BSr.svg File:BSicon exleer+BSr.svg North Shore Line platform removed 1970 Purple Line south to Howard or Loop

Central is a Purple Line station of the Chicago Transit Authority 'L' system. Located at 1024 Central Street in Evanston, Illinois (directional coordinates 2600 north, 1000 west), the elevated platform sits above Central Street, half a block west of Ridge Avenue. The station itself, a Beaux-Arts structure designed by noted transit architect Arthur Gerber, is on the south side of Central Street and is entered at street level, with an auxiliary exit on the north side of the street.

History

Structure

The station was built close by to landmarks that include the Evanston Hospital and offices of NorthShore University HealthSystem, an Evanston fire station, Canal Shores Golf Course, and Chandler Newburger Recreation Center. Ryan Field, home of the Northwestern University Wildcats football team, and Welsh-Ryan Arena, home of Northwestern's basketball team, are a few blocks west of the station. Just west of Ryan Field on the north side of the street is the locally famous hot dog stand, Mustard's Last Stand. A few blocks further west is the Central Street station on Metra's Union Pacific/North Line. Less than a mile separate the two rail stations.

Former service

Footings for the former North Shore Line platform

Central was served by trains of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad on the Shore Line Route. Like Foster and Noyes, Central had an additional side platform to the west of the southbound track for exclusive use of the North Shore Line, to prevent disembarking customers from transferring to 'L' trains for free. The platform was removed sometime after the North Shore Line ceased operations over this section of the rapid transit system in 1955, but its concrete footings can still be seen opposite the current platform south of Central Street.

Bus connections

CTA

• #201 Central/Ridge

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Central Street (Evanston Line) Station Page at Chicago-'L'.org
• After Midnight, Central Street Neighbors Association (image of Central Street "L")
• CTA - Train schedule PDF

• Ridership figures, 2009 PDF (172 KiB)

• Central Street Station Page CTA official site
• Central Street entrance from Google Maps Street View