SouthWest Service

SouthWest Service
SouthWest Service train approaching Chicago Union Station at 35th Street near Guaranteed Rate Field (June 2024).
Overview
OwnerNorfolk Southern Railway (Leased to Metra)
Termini
Stations13
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMetra
Operator(s)Metra, Norfolk Southern Railway
Daily ridership9,600 (Avg. Weekday 2014)[1]
Ridership844,567 (2023)
Technical
Track length40.6 miles
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Route map
Map SouthWest Service highlighted in blue
enlarge… NCS to Antioch
enlarge… MD-W to Big Timber Road
enlarge… MD-N to Fox Lake
0 mi
Union Station Amtrak
Metra
LaSalle Street
planned relocation
enlarge… BNSF to Aurora
Chicago River (south branch)
Amtrak
enlarge… HC to Joliet
3.2 mi
5.1 km
47th Street
Amtrak
Amtrak
enlarge… RI to Joliet
Halsted
Racine
Ashland
Western Avenue
11.5 mi
18.5 km
Wrightwood
12.2 mi
19.6 km
Ashburn
14.7 mi
23.7 km
Oak Lawn
Stony Creek
16.6 mi
26.7 km
Chicago Ridge
17.8 mi
28.6 km
Worth
18.6 mi
29.9 km
Palos Heights
19.8 mi
31.9 km
Palos Park
Southmore
23.0 mi
37 km
Orland Park 143rd Street
25.2 mi
40.6 km
Orland Park 153rd Street
28.7 mi
46.2 km
Orland Park 179th Street
Orland Park Coach Yard
Hickory Creek
RI Left arrow to Jolietto LaSalle Street Up arrow
Steele
Jackson Creek (Jackson Branch)
Brisbane
EJ&E Railway
35.4 mi
57 km
Laraway Road
Jackson Creek
40.3 mi
64.9 km
Manhattan
Manhattan Coach Yard
Wauponsee Glacial Trail

Mileage[2]
source
Handicapped/disabled accessAll stations are accessible
 
Key
SouthWest Service
Former route alignment
Planned service realignment
Other Metra lines
Other freight lines
CTA lines

The SouthWest Service (SWS) is a Metra commuter rail line, running southwest from Union Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois, to Manhattan, Illinois. Metra does not refer to its lines by color, but the timetable accents for the SouthWest Service line are "Banner Blue," for the Wabash Railroad's Banner Blue passenger train.[3] The trackage is owned by Metra north of a junction with the Belt Railway of Chicago at Loomis Boulevard, and is leased from Norfolk Southern Railway south of the junction (NS has trackage rights over Metra's portion).[4]

  1. ^ "Ridership Reports - System Facts". Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  2. ^ State of the System - SouthWest Service
  3. ^ "Did you know?" (PDF). On the Bi-Level: 3. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2010.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).