Learn More. Typical chicago tour The L is the aerial metro that makes a lot of noise but that Proves you that you're well in Chicago LOOP CURRENTLY Being refurbhished, Friends visiting from UK asked me to help them take a ride on the L (elevated train) while in Chicago, so we took the Brown line around the Loop. And so the first 'L' train (then Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad) was built in 1892, and its inaugural journey took place on June 6, spanning 3.6 miles in 14 minutes. Hours of Operation. Prior to construction of the Union Loop, Chicago's three elevated railway lines—the South Side Elevated Railroad, the Lake Street Elevated Railroad, and the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad—each had their own terminal on the edges of downtown Chicago. Transfer for Metra trains via Ogilvie Transportation Center, Transfer for Metra and Amtrak trains via Union Station, Transfer for Metra trains via LaSalle Street Station, Coordinates: 41°52′48″N 87°38′47″W / 41.88000°N 87.64639°W / 41.88000; -87.64639, This article is about Chicago's central section of elevated rail. [2] The Loop is so named because the elevated tracks loop around a rectangle formed by Lake Street (north side), Wabash Avenue (east), Van Buren Street (south), and Wells Street (west). [3] The current Tower 18 was placed into service on May 19, 2010, replacing the former tower on that site that was built in 1969.[3]. The railway loop has given its name to Chicago's downtown, which is also known as the Loop. For the central Chicago community area, see, A Brown Line train passes through Tower 12 as it makes the turn from Van Buren onto Wabash, while an Orange Line train waits for it to clear, A Brown Line train departing from Madison/Wabash, A street level view of the elevated trains, Harold Washington Library – State/Van Buren, "Chicago's Public Transportation Policy, 1900–1940s", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Loop_(CTA)&oldid=975616147, Historic American Engineering Record in Illinois, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Closed July 17, 1995; partially demolished and replaced by Washington/Wells, Closed January 30, 1994; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wells. Chicago Basin, with its promixity to 3 of Colorado's 14'ers, is a popular backpacker destination and is easy to access via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauage Railroad. In 2011 20,896,612 passengers entered the 'L' via these stations. When the first rapid transit lines opened in the 1890s, they were independently owned and each had terminals that were located immediately outside of Chicago's downtown, where it was considered too expensive and politically inexpedient to build rapid transit. Nice way to see the city. Closed September 3, 2017; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wabash. Friends visiting from UK asked me to help them take a ride on the L (elevated train) while in Chicago, so we took the Brown line around the Loop. The Yellow Line is the only 'L' line that does not run on or connect to the Loop. As of 2012, the branch has served 74,651 passengers every weekday. The addition of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad caused the removal of the rest of the station as the remaining platform sat across the new road's entry point.