83rd Street (Avalon Park) station

83rd Street (Avalon Park) is an electrified commuter rail station along the Metra Electric Main Line in Chicago, Illinois. The station is located over 83rd Street near Ellis Avenue and is 10.4 miles (16.7 km) away from the northern terminus at Millennium Station.^[2] Despite the name of the station, it is actually located in Chatham, not the Avalon Park neighborhood for which it is named; however, it is only a short distance from Avalon Park. In Metra's zone-based fare system, 83rd Street-Avalon Park station is in zone 2. As of 2018^[update], the station is the 209th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 56 weekday boardings. The station's rank is tied with the neighboring 87th Street (Woodruff) station.^[1]

83rd Street Avalon Park
General information
Location	83rd Street near Ellis Avenue Chatham, Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates	41.7446°N 87.5986°W / 41.7446; -87.5986
Owned by	Metra
Line(s)	University Park Sub District
Platforms	1 Island platform
Tracks	4
Construction
Parking	Street-side
Accessible	No
Other information
Fare zone	2
History
Opened	1926
Electrified	Overhead line, 1,500 V DC
Passengers
2018	56 (average weekday)[1]  40%
Rank	209 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station 87th Street (Woodruff) toward University Park or Blue Island Metra Electric Main Line & Blue Island Branch 79th Street (Chatham) toward Millennium Station
Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station 87th Street toward Richton or Blue Island Electric Suburban Main Line & Blue Island Branch 79th Street toward Randolph Street
Track layout Legend ME north to Millennium 83rd St. ME south to University Park and Blue Island
Location

Like much of the main branch of the Metra Electric line, 83rd Street-Avalon Park is built on elevated tracks near the embankment of a bridge over 83rd Street. This bridge also carries an Amtrak line (owned by Canadian National Railway) that runs parallel to it, carrying the City of New Orleans, Illini, and Saluki trains. The former Nickel Plate Railroad ran just east of the Metra tracks. It also had a station stop at 83rd Street.^[3] The Nickel Plate right-of-way now is overgrown with trees.

There is another 83rd Street station on the South Chicago Branch.

Side-street parking is available on 83rd Street between the tracks and Woodlawn Avenue. Currently, no bus connections are available.

References

1. "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019.
2. "Metra Railfan Tips - Metra Electric".(registration required)
3. Welsh, Joseph (2002). Passenger Trains of Yesteryear Chicago Eastbound. Kalmbach Publishing Company. p. 10.

External links

• Metra – Stations – 83rd Street (Avalon Park)
• 83rd Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

The former Nickel Plate Road bridge over 83rd Street, a station was located here.