Joliet Gateway Center

Last updated

Joliet Gateway Center
Joliet station.jpg
Joliet's Rock Island District platform in May 2016.
General information
Location90 East Jefferson Street
Joliet, Illinois
United States
Coordinates 41°31′28″N88°04′44″W / 41.52444°N 88.07889°W / 41.52444; -88.07889
Line(s) CN Joliet Subdivision (Amtrak/Heritage Corridor)
Joliet Sub District (Rock Island)
Platforms1 island platform (Amtrak/Heritage Corridor)
1 side platform (Rock Island District)
Tracks2 (Amtrak/Heritage Corridor)
1 (Rock Island District)
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg Pace: 501, 504, 505, 507, 508, 509, 511, 512, 832, 834 [1]
Construction
Parking910 spaces, 29 accessible spaces [2]
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code Amtrak: JOL
Fare zone4 (Metra)
History
Opened2014 (temporary structure)
2018 (full structure)
Passengers
FY 202360,583 annually [3] (Amtrak)
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Dwight
toward St. Louis
Lincoln Service Summit
toward Chicago
Pontiac
toward Los Angeles or San Antonio
Texas Eagle Chicago
Terminus
Preceding station Metramlogo.svg Metra Following station
Terminus Heritage Corridor Lockport
toward Union Station
Rock Island New Lenox
toward LaSalle Street
Location
Joliet Gateway Center

Joliet Gateway Center is a multimodal mass transit center in downtown Joliet, Illinois. It opened in 2018, replacing the nearby Joliet Union Station as the commuter and passenger train station serving Joliet.

Contents

The station is the terminus of the Metra Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor, and an intermediate stop for the Amtrak Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service trains. The station's bus terminal opened in 2021, and serves 10 Pace bus routes.

History

The first passenger train services to Joliet began in 1852, and the city quickly grew into a railroad hub. A railroad improvement project began in 1909, which removed grade crossings and constructed a new union station to replace multiple stations in Joliet. Joliet Union Station opened in 1912, and at its peak served over 100 trains per day. Passenger train traffic to Union Station declined in the late 20th century, but freight traffic increased, and Union Station was operationally deficient after the tunnels connecting its platforms to the station building were filled in. Following the revisions, freight trains on the north-south tracks through the station were required to stop while passenger trains boarded, which led to conflicts. [5]

The city of Joliet applied for a TIGER grant to improve its passenger station facilities in 2009, and received additional funding from the state of Illinois, BNSF, and the city of Joliet. [6] Union Station closed in September 2014, replaced by temporary facilities. [7] Groundbreaking for the new replacement station took place late in 2016, with construction beginning shortly afterward. [8] After several delays, the station building officially opened on April 11, 2018. [9] [10]

The original plans for Joliet Gateway Center included a bus terminal, which was omitted from the project following cost overruns. Pace committed additional funding for the construction of the bus station, and construction began in early 2021, over 10 years since the project's proposal. [11] The bus terminal opened in December 2021. [1]

Services

Joliet Gateway Center is the terminus of the Metra Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor lines, to Chicago LaSalle Street Station and Chicago Union Station respectively. It is an intermediate stop on the Amtrak Texas Eagle from Chicago Union to San Antonio and Los Angeles, and on the Lincoln Service from Chicago to St. Louis and Kansas City.

As of 2018, Joliet is the 51st busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 996 weekday boardings. [4]

As of the November 2023 timetable, Joliet is served by 42 Rock Island District trains (21 in each direction) on weekdays, 21 trains (ten inbound, eleven outbound) on Saturdays, and 16 trains (eight in each direction) on Sundays and holidays. [12] On weekdays, the station is also served by three inbound Heritage Corridor trains in the morning and three outbound trains in the evening. [13]

For Amtrak, as of 2024, Joliet is served by eight Lincoln Service trains (four in each direction) and two Texas Eagle trains (one in each direction), every day. [14]

The Joliet Gateway Center is 37.2 miles (59.9 km) from Chicago Union Station on Metra's Heritage Corridor, and 40 miles (64.4 km) from Chicago's LaSalle Street Station on the Rock Island District. It is the only Metra station outside of its Chicago stations where two lines terminate. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Joliet is in zone 4 on both lines.

Future services

Amtrak announced a proposal to improve its Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service trains in 2022. The Amtrak trains, along with the Metra Heritage Corridor, currently use the CN Joliet Subdivision from Joliet to Chicago. Train traffic on the Joliet Subdivision causes frequent delays to Amtrak trains, and Amtrak proposed to reroute the Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service over the Rock Island District. Metra owns and manages the Rock Island District, and it sees little freight traffic, making it an attractive route for Amtrak. [15]

To operate Amtrak trains over the Rock Island District, modifications would be required in Joliet and Chicago. A third platform would need to be constructed at Joliet Gateway Center, and Amtrak would need to improve the connection between the Rock Island District and Chicago Union Station. The current connection from the Rock Island District to Union Station via the St. Charles Air Line sees occasional use during maintenance and emergencies, but it limits trains to a maximum speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) and requires trains to reverse into Union Station. [15]

Connections

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metra</span> Suburban railroad operator in the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan area, in the US

Metra is the primary commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 243 stations on 11 rail lines. It is the fourth busiest commuter rail system in the United States by ridership and the largest and busiest commuter rail system outside the New York City metropolitan area. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 31,894,900, or about 168,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The estimated busiest day for Metra ridership occurred on November 4, 2016—the day of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory rally, with a record 460,000+ passengers.

<i>Texas Eagle</i> Amtrak service between Chicago and Los Angeles via Texas

The Texas Eagle is a long-distance passenger train operated daily by Amtrak on a 1,306-mile (2,102 km) route between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, with major stops in St. Louis, Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin. Three days per week, the train joins the Sunset Limited in San Antonio and continues to Los Angeles via El Paso and Tucson. The combined 2,728-mile (4,390 km) route is the longest in the United States and the second-longest in the Americas, after the Canadian.

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<i>Lincoln Service</i> Amtrak service between Chicago, IL and St. Louis, MO

The Lincoln Service is a 284-mile (457 km) higher-speed rail service operated by Amtrak that runs between Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. The train is a part of the Illinois Service and is partially funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The train uses the same route as the long-distance Texas Eagle, which continues to San Antonio and Los Angeles. A connection with the Kansas City-bound Missouri River Runner is available in St. Louis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage Corridor</span> Metra commuter rail service in the Chicago area

The Heritage Corridor (HC) is a Metra commuter rail line in Chicago, Illinois, and its southwestern suburbs, terminating in Joliet, Illinois. While Metra does not refer to its lines by colors, the Heritage Corridor appears on Metra timetables as "Alton Maroon," after the Alton Railroad, which ran trains on this route. The name Heritage Corridor refers to the Illinois and Michigan Canal Heritage Corridor. Established in 1984, it runs parallel to the line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Island District</span> Commuter rail line between Chicago and Joliet, Illinois

The Rock Island District (RI) is a Metra commuter rail line from Chicago, Illinois, southwest to Joliet. Metra does not refer to its lines by color, but the timetable accents for the Rock Island District line are "Rocket Red" in honor of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's Rocket passenger trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaSalle Street Station</span> Train station in Chicago

LaSalle Street Station is a commuter rail terminal at 414 South LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. First used as a rail terminal in 1852, it was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968, and for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad until 1978, but now serves only Metra's Rock Island District. The present structure became the fifth station on the site when its predecessor was demolished in 1981 and replaced by the new station and the One Financial Place tower for the Chicago Stock Exchange. The Chicago Board of Trade Building, Willis Tower, and Harold Washington Library are nearby.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenview station</span> Train station in Glenview, Illinois, U.S.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joliet Union Station</span> Former train station in Joliet, Illinois, U.S.

Joliet Union Station is an inactive Beaux-Arts train station in downtown Joliet, Illinois, built in 1912. Union Station was constructed as part of a large improvement project for the six railroads serving Joliet, which converged on the city as an important rail transportation hub just outside Chicago. At its peak, Union Station served over 100 intercity trains per day, with additional commuter and interurban service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homewood station</span> Commuter and intercity rail station in Homewood, Illinois

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summit station (Illinois)</span> Commuter and intercity rail station in Summit, Illinois

Summit is an Amtrak and Metra train station in Summit, Illinois. It is served by Amtrak Illinois' Lincoln Service, which operates daily, and Metra's Heritage Corridor commuter line, which operates only during morning and evening rush hours in peak direction. Amtrak's Texas Eagle trains also use these tracks but do not stop. It is 11.9 miles (19.2 km) away from Union Station, the northern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Summit is in zone 2. Summit is also the closest Metra station to Midway Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Springs station (Illinois)</span> Commuter rail station in Willow Springs, Illinois

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockport station (Illinois)</span> Commuter rail station in Lockport, Illinois

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">CN Joliet Subdivision</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 "Joliet Transit Center". Pace Suburban Bus. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Joliet station information". Metra. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Illinois" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2019.
  5. ↑ "History of Joliet Union Station". Blackhawk Railway Historical Society. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ Fabbre, Alicia (April 11, 2018). "New train station opens for commuters in Joliet, ending a six-year wait". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  7. ↑ Wimbiscus, Bill (September 27, 2014). "Final train departs Union Station". The Herald-News . Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ Okon, Bob (October 8, 2016). "Yes, Joliet, a train station is being built". The Herald-News. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ Okon, Bob (October 26, 2017). "Train station exterior nearly done; opening slated for early 2018". The Herald-News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  10. ↑ Fabbre, Alicia (April 11, 2018). "New train station opens for commuters in Joliet, ending a six-year wait". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 12, 2018. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  11. ↑ Okon, Bob (June 29, 2021). "Light at the end of the tunnel for Joliet bus station". The Herald-News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Rock Island Line schedule" (PDF). Metra . November 27, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Heritage Corridor schedule" (PDF). Metra . December 12, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Lincoln Service & Missouri River Runner schedule" (PDF). Rail Passengers Association . December 10, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  15. 1 2 Johnston, Bob (June 10, 2022). "Amtrak unveils infrastructure plan to transform Chicago operations". Trains. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.


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