Joliet Union Station is one of the Chicago area's most notable railroad landmarks, busiest passenger stations and remains today a popular location for railfans to watch and photograph trains.

Located approximately 35 miles southwest of Chicago, the station is the crossing of the

• The former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe line from Chicago to Fort Madison
  
  
• The former Chicago & Alton from Chicago to
  St. Louis
  
  
• The former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific line from Chicago to the Quad Cities

The tracks in downtown Joliet were realigned and elevated during 1908-1910 at the insistence of the city. The station, designed by Jarvis Hunt, opened to the public in October of 1912.

The four tracks on the east side were used by the C&A and the AT&SF, while the four tracks on the south side were used by the CRI&P and the Michigan Central. The MC was a tenant in the station from 1912 until 1925 when it discontinued passenger service to Joliet. (The MC's “Joliet cutoff” connected with the Rock Island about one mile east of the station.)

As built, there were passenger platforms with canopies between the first and second tracks on both the east and south sides of the station. Stairs from tunnels under the tracks allowed access to the platforms without walking across track one. Switch configurations north, east and south of the station allowed all passenger trains to be brought in on either track one or track two, by the passenger platforms. The station handled passenger, express and mail business, but each railroad had their own facilities in Joliet for their freight business.

After years of neglect and decay, the station building was restored between 1989-1991. Today, the City of Joliet owns two-thirds of the facility and Metra (Chicago's commuter rail system) owns the other third.

Tracks 1 and 2 on the east side belong to BNSF while tracks 3 and 4 are used by Union Pacific and Canadian National. Metra's Heritage Corridor trains and all Amtrak trains use tracks 3 and 4.

The Michigan Central line was abandoned by Penn Central in the early 1970s. East of Joliet, most of the right-of-way is now the Old Plank Road Trail.

The Texas Eagle is the only train using Joliet that has checked baggage, but Amtrak no longer checks baggage at Joliet on this train because of the difficulty of accessing the baggage car on tracks three and four. The switch configuration south of the station that once allowed Amtrak to use track two, by the platform, no longer exists.

The long term proposal is to remove the existing passenger platform between the BNSF tracks. This would allow tracks two and three to be realigned and allow a new passenger platform to be built between tracks three and four, the two UP tracks. This new platform would be reached by stairs from the tunnel underneath and eliminate the need for passengers walking across the busy BNSF tracks. Details are still being worked out and no dates have been set for the changes.

Thanks to mergers, trackage rights and the nearby CenterPoint intermodal and transloading facility (built at the site of the former Joliet Arsenal,) freight trains from BNSF, CN, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific can be seen on the east side throughout the day, with BNSF providing the most traffic. Typical of today's operations, pooled power from CSX and Canadian Pacific can also be seen.

The single remaining track on the south side is owned by Metra. It is used by Metra's Rock Island District trains and by CSX freight trains to Ottawa, Illinois and Iowa Interstate freight trains to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Joliet is Amtrak's second-busiest station in suburban Chicago with ten trains each day on the Chicago -
St. Louis corridor, including (as of April 2, 2007):

• Lincoln Service
  8 trains daily between Chicago and St. Louis
  
  
• The Texas Eagle
  2 trains daily between Chicago and San Antonio with tri-weekly connections to New Orleans and Los Angeles

For more information about Amtrak service, call 1-800-USA-RAIL or go to www.amtrak.com

Chicago's commuter rail system, Metra, has two lines that terminate at the depot: the Rock Island District provides frequent daily service to and from Chicago's La Salle Street Station, while the ex-ICG/GM&O Heritage Corridor line runs weekday-only rush hour service with three trains to Chicago's Union Station in the morning, returning to Joliet in the evening.

For more information about Metra service and schedules, call (312) 836-7000 or go to www.metrarail.com

By Auto
If traveling by automobile, Joliet Union Station is at the intersection of Jefferson (U.S. 30 East) and Scott Streets in downtown Joliet. From the east or west, take Interstate 80 to exit 132 at Chicago Street (U.S. Route 52-Illinois Route 53) and head north. From the north or south, take Interstate 55 to Interstate 80 and head east to the exit 132. Metered parking is available around the station, although parking may be free at certain times or on certain days.

The station is railfan-friendly and has a security guard on duty while the station is open. Note that leaving the platform and crossing the tracks is considered to be trespassing. Please be careful around railroad property and always be considerate of others.

The former waiting room, with crystal chandeliers and forty-five foot ceilings, is now a banquet hall with accommodations for up to 350 guests. For information on the Grand Ballroom at Joliet Union Station, call (815) 727-1200.

Metra's ticket office is at platform level on the Rock Island side, while the Amtrak ticket office, vending machines, public restrooms and a coffee shop (open weekday mornings) can be found on the ground floor.

Restaurants and other services can be found throughout downtown Joliet.

Portions of text provided by Bill Molony