BNSF Line

BNSF Line
An inbound Metra train arrives in Naperville, pushed by an MP36PH-3S.
Overview
OwnerBNSF Railway (Leased to Metra)
Termini
Stations26
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMetra
Operator(s)BNSF Railway
Metra
Rolling stockEMD F40PH/F40PHM-3 locomotives
Gallery Cars
Daily ridership63,000 (average weekday 2018)[1]
Ridership6,165,657 (2023)
Technical
Line length37.5 miles (60.4 km)
Number of tracks2 (at Aurora station)
3 (Aurora–La Vergne)
4 (La Vergne–Union Station)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speedUp to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h)
Route map
Map BNSF Line highlighted in green
enlarge… NCS to Antioch
enlarge… MD-W to Big Timber Road
enlarge… MD-N to Fox Lake
0 mi
Union Station Amtrak
14th Street Yard
1.8 mi
2.9 km
Halsted Street
Pink to the Loop
3.8 mi
6.1 km
Western Avenue
Western Avenue Corridor
7.0 mi
11.3 km
Cicero
7.5 mi
12.1 km
Morton Park
8.5 mi
13.7 km
9.1 mi
14.6 km
La Vergne
9.6 mi
15.4 km
Berwyn
10.1 mi
16.3 km
Harlem Avenue
11.1 mi
17.9 km
Riverside
11.8 mi
19 km
Hollywood
12.3 mi
19.8 km
Brookfield
13.1 mi
21.1 km
Congress Park
13.8 mi
22.2 km
La Grange Road Amtrak
14.2 mi
22.9 km
Stone Avenue
15.5 mi
24.9 km
Western Springs
16.4 mi
26.4 km
Highlands
16.9 mi
27.2 km
Hinsdale
17.8 mi
28.6 km
West Hinsdale
18.3 mi
29.5 km
Clarendon Hills
19.5 mi
31.4 km
Westmont
20.4 mi
32.8 km
Fairview Avenue
21.2 mi
34.1 km
Downers Grove Main Street
22.6 mi
36.4 km
Belmont
Saint Joseph Creek
24.5 mi
39.4 km
Lisle
DuPage River (East Branch)
28.5 mi
45.9 km
Naperville Amtrak
DuPage River (West Branch)
31.6 mi
50.9 km
Route 59
33.4 mi
53.8 km
Eola
36.5 mi
58.7 km
Scraper Works
Hill Yard
37.5 mi
60.4 km
Aurora
Aurora (CB&Q Depot)
Amtrak
Key
BNSF Line
Former route alignment
Other Metra lines
Other freight lines
CTA lines
Mileage source[2]

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible except
Halsted Street, Western Avenue, and Congress Park.

The BNSF Line is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its western suburbs, running from Chicago Union Station to Aurora, Illinois through the Chicago Subdivision. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership (average 64,600) of the 11 Metra lines.[3] While Metra does not refer to its lines by particular colors, the BNSF line's color on Metra timetables is "Cascade Green," in honor of the Burlington Northern Railroad.[4]

As of April 29, 2024, the public timetable shows 91 trains (44 inbound, 47 outbound) on the BNSF Line on weekdays. Of these, 32 inbound trains originate from Aurora, one from Downers Grove Main Street, nine from Fairview Avenue, and two from Brookfield. Five outbound trains terminate at Brookfield, eight at Fairview Avenue, three at Naperville, and the rest at Aurora. Weekend and holiday service consists of 36 trains (18 in each direction), with trains making all stops from Union Station to Aurora, save for a morning and afternoon inbound express train and an afternoon outbound train that run express from Union Station to Downers Grove Main Street.

Bike cars are available on weekday trains #1212 (leaves 5:29 A.M.,) #1252 (leaves 9:04 A.M.,) and #1284 (leaves 5:04 P.M.) inbound from Aurora, and trains #1217 (leaves 7:33 A.M.,) #1239 (leaves 3:10 P.M.,) and #1283 (leaves 6:50 P.M.) outbound to Aurora.

Bike cars are available on weekend trains #2002 (leaves 6:20 A.M.) and #2012 (leaves 10:20 A.M.) inbound from Aurora, and trains #2003 (leaves 8:40 A.M.) and #2013 (leaves 2:40 P.M.) outbound to Aurora.

The line is operated by BNSF under a "purchase of service agreement" with Metra, inherited from Burlington Northern. While Metra owns all rolling stock, the management and crews are BNSF employees. BNSF is the owner of the right-of-way, controls the line and handles dispatching from corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Metra imposes a 70 mph maximum allowed speed for passenger trains. The BNSF Line may be the only Metra commuter line that operates via purchase-of-service agreements as of 2024 due to the Union Pacific Railroad announcing its intentions to transfer the operations and supplying of commuter trains to the Metra system itself for the routes originating from the Ogilvie Transportation Center.

  1. ^ "Operations and Ridership Data". Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  2. ^ State of the System - BNSF
  3. ^ "Ridership Reports -System Facts". Metra. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  4. ^ "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2010.