55th–56th–57th Street station

55th–56th–57th Street is a commuter rail station in Hyde Park, Chicago that serves the Metra Electric Line north to Millennium Station and south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago; and the South Shore Line to Gary and South Bend, Indiana. The South Shore Line calls the station 57th Street. It is the closest station to the Museum of Science and Industry, and also serves the residential neighborhood adjoining the University of Chicago. As of 2018, the station is the 39th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,133 weekday boardings.^[1]

55th-56th-57th Street
An inbound Metra Electric train of Highliner cars (left) and an outbound South Shore Line train (right) meeting
General information
Location	55th to 57th Streets, at Lake Park Avenue Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41.793354°N 87.587476°W / 41.793354; -87.587476
Line(s)	University Park Sub District
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	CTA Bus
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	2 (Metra and South Shore)
History
Rebuilt	2002
Electrified	Overhead line, 1,500 V DC
Passengers
2018	1,133 (average weekday)[1]  26.5% (Metra)
Rank	39 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station 59th Street/University of Chicago toward University Park, South Chicago or Blue Island Metra Electric 51st–53rd Street (Hyde Park) toward Millennium Station Preceding station NICTD Following station 63rd Street toward South Bend Airport South Shore Line McCormick Place Events only toward Millennium Station
Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station 59th Street toward Richton, 91st Street or Blue Island Electric Suburban 53rd Street toward Randolph Street
Track layout Legend ME north to Millennium 55th St. 56th St. 57th St. ME south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago south to South Bend Airport
Location

History

The South Shore Line began stopping at 57th Street on October 16, 1966, at noon.^[2] Prior to this, the South Shore Line had stopped at 53rd Street. The switch was made to better serve the University of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry.^[3]

This station, and the adjacent 53rd Street station, were rebuilt in 2002 with concrete platforms to replace wooden platforms built in the 1920s.^[4]

Until November 2014 (when the staffed station closed), this was the only station along the route outside of Downtown Chicago's two main stations that had a staffed ticket office, as many express trains on both lines stop at the station and it is the South Side's main station.

Bus connections

CTA

• 15 Jeffery Local
• 28 Stony Island
• 55 Garfield (Owl Service)
• 171 University of Chicago/Hyde Park

References

1. "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019.
2. "South Shore Switches Stop to 57th Street". Chicago Tribune. October 16, 1966. p. 2 Section 4.
3. "Move Stops 4 Blocks Is Railway Plea". Chicago Tribune. June 12, 1966. p. 2 Section 10.
4. "The HP Metra stations and other Metra accommodations and fleet updates; new cars and coffee shops coming". Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference. Retrieved August 15, 2017.

External links

• Media related to 55th–56th–57th Street station at Wikimedia Commons
• Metra – Stations – 55th–56th–57th Street
• South Shore Line - Stations