Franklin Park station
Franklin Park | |||||||||||||
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General information | |||||||||||||
Location | 3148 Rose Street Franklin Park, Illinois | ||||||||||||
Coordinates | 41°56′12″N 87°51′59″W / 41.9366°N 87.8664°W | ||||||||||||
Owned by | Village of Franklin Park | ||||||||||||
Platforms | 1 side platform, 1 island platform | ||||||||||||
Tracks | 4 | ||||||||||||
Connections | Pace Buses | ||||||||||||
Construction | |||||||||||||
Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||
Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||
Other information | |||||||||||||
Fare zone | C | ||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||
Opened | 1950 | ||||||||||||
Passengers | |||||||||||||
2018 | 392 (average weekday)[1] 14.4% | ||||||||||||
Rank | 123 out of 236[1] | ||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||
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Franklin Park is a station on Metra's Milwaukee District/West in Franklin Park, Illinois. The station is 13.2 miles (21.2 km) away from Union Station, the eastern terminus of the line.[2] In Metra's zone-based fare system, Franklin Park is in zone C. As of 2018, Franklin Park is the 123rd busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 392 weekday boardings.[1]
Franklin Park is a centerpiece of the Milwaukee District/West Line. Located adjacent to the Canadian Pacific Bensenville yard, the station sees a large volume of freight traffic, and many trains on the MD-W line run express to and from this station. With two tracks used by Metra and two others for freight (Canadian Pacific) as well as frequent Metra and freight action, Franklin Park and its smaller cousins Belmont Avenue and Mannheim are a favorite of railfans. The annual Railroad Daze festival is held at this station, and is a festival catered to railfans and celebrates the railroad's role in Franklin Park's history. The historic B-12 interlocking tower for the Milwaukee Railroad is situated one block west of the station, accompanied by a preserved Milwaukee Road caboose. This tower was located at the intersection of the MD-W line and the Canadian National (ex-Soo Line/Wisconsin Central) (north) and Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (south) tracks, but closed in July 1996 and was relocated a year later. Although the Milwaukee system as a whole ceased to exist in 1986, the tower still dons the Milwaukee Road logo.
Franklin Park Station is the last station outbound along the Milwaukee District West Line to use three tracks. It is also the closest full service Metra station to O'Hare International Airport.
Bus connections
- "Route 303 – Forest Park/Rosemont". PaceBus.com. Chicago: Pace Suburban Bus Service.
- "Route 319 – Grand Avenue". PaceBus.com. Chicago: Pace Suburban Bus Service.
References
- ^ a b c "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019.
- ^ Metra Railfan Tips - Milwaukee District/West