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BNSF Line
BNSF Line
	An inbound Metra train arrives in Naperville, pushed by an MP36PH-3S.
Overview
Owner	BNSF Railway (Leased to Metra)
Termini	Union Station; Aurora;
Stations	26
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Metra
Operator(s)	BNSF Railway; Metra
Rolling stock	EMD F40PH/F40PHM-3 locomotives; Gallery Cars
Daily ridership	63,000 (average weekday 2018)
Ridership	3,659,617 (2020)
Technical
Line length	37.5 miles (60.4 km)
Number of tracks	2 (at Aurora station); 3 (elsewhere)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	Up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h)
Route map
	Legend
	HC to Joliet
	SWS to Manhattan
	Morton Park
	closed
	Clyde
	closed
	Eola
	closed
	Aurora (CB&Q Depot)
	closed
	Emeryville, Quincy,
	& Los Angeles
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The BNSF Line (also known informally as the "Racetrack") is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its western suburbs. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership (average 64,600) of the 11 Metra lines.^[2] 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.^[3]

The public timetable (published March 28, 2021) shows 44 inbound trains and 47 outbound trains 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, five at Fairview Avenue, three at Naperville, and 34 at Aurora.

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.

Metra operates 15 inbound trains and 15 outbound trains on the BNSF Line on Saturdays, and 10 inbound trains and 10 outbound trains on the BNSF Line on Sundays. All weekend trains originate and terminate at 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 east end is Union Station in downtown Chicago. The line traverses Chicago and its western and far western suburbs to Aurora, Illinois. BNSF Railway operates it 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 controls the right-of-way on the line and handles dispatching from corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. The June 2007 timetable shows a 70 mph maximum allowed speed for passenger trains.

Metra has studied the feasibility of extending the line beyond Aurora. One proposal considered extending the line possibly as far as Sandwich, with additional stations (from east to west) in Montgomery, Oswego, Yorkville, and Plano.^[4] Another proposal considered extending the line to Big Rock, with additional stations at Orchard Road in Aurora, and in Sugar Grove.

Metra has also considered opening an infill station between Aurora and Route 59 stations at Eola Road.

History[edit]

BNSF Railway Line is in Cascade Green

The railroad between Chicago and Aurora was constructed in 1864 by the Chicago and Aurora Railroad, which evolved into the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The CB&Q operated the commuter service until the railroad merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1970. Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1995 to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. It later changed its name to the abbreviation, BNSF.

When the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) began subsidizing Chicago's commuter rail operations in 1974, Burlington Northern continued to operate its line under contract to the RTA. This arrangement continued when the RTA organized commuter rail under a service board that became Metra.

With fast and frequent Amtrak and Metra passenger trains, and BNSF freight trains, the three-track line is a favorite of rail fans, who sometimes call it the "BNSF Racetrack"^[5] informally. It is one of the busiest rail lines in the United States, with 91 passenger trains (not including Amtrak services) traveling along it per weekday as of March 28, 2022.

The Clyde station at South Austin Boulevard and West 29th Street in Cicero was closed on April 1, 2007 due to low ridership and its dilapidation. In the months before its closure, it was used by about 50 passengers a day.^[6]

Kendall County extension[edit]

There have been proposals to extend service west into Kendall County, which as of 2020 is outside the RTA's service area. Potential new stations would be in Montgomery, Oswego, Bristol, Yorkville, Plano, and Sandwich, Illinois.^[7]^[8] The Plano station would be located over 1 mile west of the Plano CB&Q Depot currently used by Amtrak's Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains.

Ridership[edit]

Between 2014 and 2019, annual ridership declined 7% from 16.7 million to 15.5 million passengers.^[9]^[10] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ridership dropped to 3,659,617 passengers in 2020.^[11]

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Rolling stock[edit]

The BNSF Line's locomotive fleet consists mainly of the EMD F40PH-3/F40PHM-3. Until 2012, MPI MP36PH-3S locomotives also operated on the line; however, they were all reassigned to the Milwaukee lines, the North Central Service and the Rock Island District due to operating difficulties. Passenger cars include coaches from Pullman (Bike Car), Budd, Morrison-Knudsen/Amerail, and Nippon Sharyo.

Stations[edit]

County	Zone	Location	Station	Connections and notes
Cook	A	Chicago	Union Station	Amtrak (long-distance): California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle Amtrak (intercity): Blue Water, Hiawatha, Illini and Saluki, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Lincoln Service, Pere Marquette, Wolverine Metra: ■ Milwaukee District North, ■ Milwaukee District West, ■ North Central Service, ■ Heritage Corridor, ■ SouthWest Service Chicago "L": Blue (at Clinton), Brown Orange Pink Purple (at Quincy) CTA Bus: 1, 7, J14, 19, 28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192 Pace Bus: 755 Plainfield–IMD–West Loop Express Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach: Chicago-Madison and Chicago-Rockford (Van Galder), Chicago-Louisville (Greyhound)
			Halsted Street (rush hours only)	CTA Bus: 8 Halsted, 18 16th/18th, N62 Archer
			Western Avenue	Chicago "L": Pink (at Western) CTA Bus: 18 16th-18th, 49 Western, X49 Western Express
	B	Cicero	Cicero	CTA Bus: 35 31st/35th, 54 Cicero, 54B South Cicero, 60 Blue Island/26th
			Morton Park	Closed between 1938 and 1957
			Clyde	Closed April 1, 2007
		Berwyn	La Vergne (rush hours only)	Pace Bus: 302 Ogden/Stanley, 314 Ridgeland Avenue
			Berwyn	Pace Bus: 302 Ogden/Stanley, 311 Oak Park Avenue
			Harlem Avenue	Pace Bus: 302 Ogden/Stanley, 307 Harlem
	C	Riverside	Riverside
		Brookfield	Hollywood
			Brookfield	Pace Bus: 331 Cumberland–5th Avenue
			Congress Park (rush hours only)	Pace Bus: 302 Ogden/Stanley, 331 Cumberland–5th Avenue
		La Grange	La Grange Road	Amtrak: Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg Pace Bus: 302 Ogden/Stanley, 330 Mannheim–LaGrange Roads, 331 Cumberland–5th Avenue
		La Grange	Stone Avenue
	D	Western Springs	Western Springs
DuPage		Hinsdale	Highlands (rush hours only)
			Hinsdale
			West Hinsdale (rush hours only)
		Clarendon Hills	Clarendon Hills
		Westmont	Westmont	Pace Bus: 715 Central DuPage
	E	Downers Grove	Fairview Avenue
			Downers Grove Main Street	Pace Bus: 834 Joliet–Downers Grove
			Belmont	Grove Commuter Shuttle: West Route
		Lisle	Lisle
	F	Naperville	Naperville	Amtrak: California Zephyr, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Southwest Chief Pace Bus: 530 West Galena–Naperville, 714 COD–Naperville–Wheaton Connector, 722 Ogden Avenue Burlington Trailways: Chicago–Davenport
	G	Naperville / Aurora	Route 59	Pace Bus: 559 Illinois Route 59 Greyhound Lines: Chicago–Davenport
		Eola	Eola	Closed to passengers prior to 1971, closed entirely later
Kane	H	Aurora	Aurora	Pace Bus: 524 West Aurora, 530 West Galena–Naperville, 533 Northeast Aurora, 540 Farnsworth Avenue, 802 Aurora–Geneva via Lake
Kane		Aurora	Aurora (CB&Q Depot)	Closed 1986