Logan Square branch

Northwest branch
Overview
Status	Closed
Locale	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago 'L'
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority (1947-1951) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924-1947) Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (1895-1924)
History
Opened	May 6, 1895
Closed	February 25, 1951
Technical
Character	Elevated
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map O'Hare branch Logan Square relocated 1970 California Western Humboldt Park branch Damen Evergreen Junction Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway Division Chicago Grand UP-W MD-N NCS MD-W Lake Street Elevated Paulina Junction Lake Street Transfer Washington Junction Madison Metropolitan Main Line Douglas Branch

The Northwest branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago 'L' system from 1895 to 1951. The Northwest branch fed the Humboldt Park and Logan Square branches. It opened on May 6, 1895 and closed on February 25, 1951, when it was replaced by the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway.

Operations

The Northwest branch separated from the Metropolitan Main Line at the Marshfield Junction, just west of the Marshfield station. The Northwest branch divided into the Humboldt Park and Logan Square branches just northwest of the Damen station (originally called Robey).

History

Service began on the Northwest branch on May 6, 1895, with service as far as Robey Street (Damen Avenue). On May 25, 1895, service began on the Logan Square branch and on July 29, 1895, service began on the Humboldt Park branch. On February 25, 1951, the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway began service, and service ended on the Northwest elevated branch south of the Damen Avenue station. The Logan Square branch was then replaced by the Milwaukee Avenue Route, which utilized the Milwaukee Avenue elevated of the Logan Square branch and the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. Service on the Humboldt Park branch ended on May 4, 1952.

Besides the section which was re-used for the Pink Line on the Paulina Connector, one other extant section remains a few blocks north at Paulina and Kinzie Streets, where the old overpass trestle has been re-used as a signaling assembly for the Milwaukee Road/Union Pacific Metra rail lines. All other traces of the former line have been removed.

Station listing

Northwest branch

Northwest branch stations

Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
Damen	Damen Avenue, North Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue	Opened as "Robey"
Division	Division Street and Paulina Street
Chicago	Chicago Avenue and Paulina Street
Grand	Grand Avenue and Paulina Street
Lake Street Transfer	Lake Street and Paulina Street	Opened as "Lake." Transfer to Lake Street.
Madison	1720 W. Madison Street	Closed February 25, 1951

Logan Square branch

Logan Square branch stations

Station	Location
Logan Square	Kedzie Boulevard and Linden Place
California	California Avenue and Lyndale Street
Western	Western Avenue, Cortland Street and Milwaukee Avenue

See also

• Blue Line (CTA)
• Metropolitan Main Line (CTA)