Central station (CTA Congress Line)

Central   5600W 720S
The abandoned Central station as of July 2017
General information
Location	720 South Central Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60644
Coordinates	41°52′12″N87°45′53″W / 41.8701°N 87.7648°W / 41.8701; -87.7648
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line	Congress Branch
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
History
Opened	October 10, 1960;65 years ago (1960-10-10)
Closed	September 2, 1973;52 years ago (1973-09-02)
Former services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Austin toward Des Plaines Congress branch Cicero toward Jefferson Park
Future services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Austin toward Forest Park Blue Line Cicero toward O'Hare
Track layout Legend West–Northwest to Jefferson Park Central Ave. West–Northwest to Des Plaines
Location

Central is an abandoned rapid transit station in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station served the Chicago Transit Authority's Congress Line, which is now part of the Blue Line. Central opened on October 10, 1960, and closed on September 2, 1973, as part of a group of budget-related CTA station closings. ^{[1] [2]}

Reopening of the station

On December 16, 2025, Illinois Senate Bill 2111, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, was passed into law, which authorized the reconstruction and reintroduction into revenue service of Central by January 1, 2029. ^{[3] [4]}

References

1. Garfield, Graham. "Central". Chicago-L.org. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
2. Buck, Thomas (September 2, 1973). "CTA Shutting Down 7 Rapid Transit Stations Today". Chicago Tribune. p. 5.
3. Reed, Atavia (December 18, 2025). "CTA Closed Englewood's Racine Green Line Station Over 30 Years Ago. By 2029, It Could Reopen". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
4. Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act (PDF). Illinois General Assembly. December 16, 2025. p. 229-230. Retrieved December 28, 2025.

External links

Media related to Central (CTA Congress line) at Wikimedia Commons

• Boarded Up Entrance to former Central CTA Congress Line Station from Google Street Maps