Western Avenue station (BNSF Railway)

This article is about the Metra station on the BNSF line. For the station serving the Milwaukee District lines, see Western Avenue station (Milwaukee District).

Western Avenue
Western Avenue station in September 2009.
General information
Location	Western Avenue and 18th Place Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41°51′28″N87°41′07″W / 41.8578°N 87.6853°W / 41.8578; -87.6853
Owned by	BNSF
Line(s)	BNSF Chicago Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	4
Connections	Pink at Western CTA Bus
Construction
Accessible	No
Other information
Fare zone	2
History
Opened	1905
Rebuilt	1978
Passengers
2018	57 (average weekday) [1]   26.7%
Rank	208 out of 236 [1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station Cicero toward Aurora BNSF Halsted Street toward Chicago Union Station
Former services Preceding station Burlington Route Following station Cicero toward Aurora Suburban Service Halsted Street toward Chicago
Track layout Legend BNSF east to Chicago Union Station Rail yard Western Ave. BNSF west to Aurora
Location

Western Avenue (also known as Western Avenue & 18th Place) is a station on Metra's BNSF Line located in Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station consists of one side platform and one island platform for outbound and inbound trains. The station has no station house, though shelters are provided. Amtrak and BNSF Railway trains run on tracks parallel to the station. The station is 3.7 miles (6.0 km) away from Union Station, the eastern terminus of the BNSF Line. ^[2] As of 2018, Western Avenue is the 208th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 57 weekday boardings. ^[1]

Location

Western Avenue station is located near the Western Pink Line 'L' station, as well as the Western station on the Blue Line's Congress branch. It is also located near an overpass for CSX Transportation and the Norfolk Southern Railway and a BNSF Railway yard.

Service

As of September 8, 2025, Western Avenue is served by 57 trains (28 inbound, 29 outbound) on weekdays, and by 36 trains (18 in each direction) on weekends and holidays. ^[3]

Bus connections

CTA

• 18 16th/18th
• 49 Western (Owl Service)
• X49 Western Express (weekday rush hours only)

References

1. "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2019.
2. Railfan tips- Metra BNSF Line
3. "BNSF Line effective 09/08/2025" (PDF). metrarail.com. Metra. September 8, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.

External links

• Metra – Stations – Western Avenue station (BNSF Railway)
• Western Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View