59th Street/University of Chicago station

59th Street/University of Chicago is a railway station that serves the Metra Electric Line in Chicago, Illinois. The station is on 59th street, originally the University of Chicago's southern border, and the Midway Plaisance. Trains run between Millennium Station downtown and University Park, Blue Island, and the Chicago neighborhood of South Chicago. As of 2018, the station is the 63rd busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 812 weekday boardings.^[1] Before the 55th–56th–57th Street station to the immediate north was rebuilt into a major station in 2002, all express trains served 59th Street and the station had a staffed ticket window.

59th Street University of Chicago
The platforms of the Metra electric station at 59th Street and University of Chicago.
General information
Location	59th and Harper Streets Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41.7877°N 87.5888°W / 41.7877; -87.5888
Line(s)	University Park Sub District
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	CTA Bus
Construction
Accessible	No
Other information
Fare zone	2
History
Electrified	Overhead line, 1,500 V DC
Previous names	South Park 59th Street–Stony Island
Passengers
2018	812 (average weekday)[1]  20.5%
Rank	63 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station 63rd Street toward University Park, South Chicago or Blue Island Metra Electric 55th–56th–57th Street toward Millennium Station
Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station 63rd Street toward Richton, 91st Street or Blue Island Electric Suburban 55th–56th–57th Streets toward Randolph Street
Track layout Legend ME north to Millennium 59th St. Midway Plaisance (WB) Midway Plaisance (EB) 60th St. ME south to University Park, Blue Island, and South Chicago
Location

The majority of University of Chicago and Hyde Park traffic is now served by the 55th–56th–57th Street station; only some express trains stop at 59th Street.

Future

Metra plans to rebuild the station, which will incorporate ADA accessibility and reopen the 60th Street entrance south of the Midway Plaisance. In 2011, the University of Chicago committed $2.5 million on the planned rebuild.^[2][3][4] Due to the station being in proximity to historic places, in 2021, Metra and the Federal Transit Administration began a federal review process in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.^[5] In December 2022, the project received $37.6 million in federal grant.^[6][7][8]

Bus connections

CTA

• 2 Hyde Park Express
• 6 Jackson Park Express
• 15 Jeffery Local
• 28 Stony Island