Central (CTA Purple Line station)

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

Central
Station statistics
Address	1024 Central Street Evanston, Illinois 60201
Coordinates	42.063950°N 87.685742°W / 42.063950; -87.685742
Lines	Purple Line
Connections	CTA bus
Structure	Elevated
Platforms	1 Island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	May 16, 1908
Rebuilt	1931
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Traffic
Passengers (2011)	275,744  4.3%
Services
Preceding station   Chicago 'L'   Following station Linden Terminus Purple Line Noyes toward Howard or The Loop Isabella (Closed 1973) toward Linden

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,^{[citation needed]} 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.

Its closest landmarks include Evanston Hospital and offices of NorthShore University HealthSystem, an Evanston fire station, Peter Jans 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.

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
• #N201 Central/Sherman (Owl Service)

External links

Media related to Central (CTA Purple Line) 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 schedulePDF

• Ridership figures, 2009PDF (172 KiB)

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