Aurora Transportation Center

The Aurora Transportation Center is a station on Metra's BNSF Line in Aurora, Illinois. The station is 37.1 miles (59.7 km) from Union Station, the east end of the line.^[2] In Metra's zone-based fare system, Aurora is in zone 4. As of 2018, Aurora is the 13th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,856 weekday boardings.^[1] There is a staffed station building. Just north of the station is the Hill Yard, a large coach yard used to store the Metra trains on the BNSF Line. Aurora is a stub-track terminal, which means the Metra tracks end here. Amtrak and BNSF freights use the two tracks east of the station.

Aurora Transportation Center
The transportation center in 2022, with the station tracks to the left.
General information
Location	233 North Broadway Aurora, Illinois
Coordinates	41.7613°N 88.3081°W / 41.7613; -88.3081
Owned by	City of Aurora
Line(s)	BNSF Chicago Subdivision
Platforms	2 Side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Pace Buses
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	4
History
Opened	1986
Passengers
2018	1,856 (average weekday)[1]  4.1%
Rank	13 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station Terminus BNSF Route 59 toward Union Station
Former services at old station Preceding station Amtrak Following station Galesburg toward Oakland San Francisco Zephyr Until 1983 Chicago Terminus Galesburg toward Los Angeles Desert Wind Until 1983 Plano toward Quincy Illinois Zephyr Until 1983 La Grange Road toward Chicago Preceding station Burlington Route Following station Bristol toward Denver Main Line La Grange toward Chicago Mendota toward Oakland California Zephyr Chicago Terminus Sugar Grove toward Minneapolis Minneapolis – Chicago La Grange toward Chicago Terminus Suburban Service Scraper Works toward Chicago Montgomery toward Streator Aurora – Streator Terminus South Aurora toward West Batavia Aurora – West Bativia Terminus Aurora – West Chicago North Aurora toward West Chicago
Track layout Legend BNSF east to Union Station
Location

Aurora is the west end of the BNSF Railway Line and is served by numerous Pace bus routes. It served as a Greyhound bus stop until September 7, 2011.^[3]

As of April 29, 2024, Aurora is served by 32 inbound trains and 34 outbound trains (66 total) on Weekdays along with all 36 trains (18 per direction) on Weekends/Holidays.

History

The old and now demolished CB&Q Station seen on May 1, 2008.

The station replaced the former Aurora Depot, at the corners of South Broadway and Washington Street. The station was constructed in 1922 by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and closed in 1986. It was also served by Amtrak and Metra trains until the opening of the Aurora Transportation Center. The building was torn down in April 2013.^[4] Amtrak service shifted to Naperville station, and continue to stop presently.

California Zephyr at Aurora station in 1967

Bus connections

Pace

• 524 West Aurora^[5]
• 530 West Galena/Naperville^[6]
• 533 Northeast Aurora^[7]
• 802 Aurora/Geneva via Lake^[8]

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 - BNSF Railway Line". Archived from the original on 2011-03-12. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
3. Greyhound drops Dixon from service
4. Joseph P. Schwieterman (2014). Terminal Town. Lake Forest College. pp. 148–149. ISBN 978-0-9823156-9-9.
5. "524 - West Aurora | Pace Suburban Bus". 4 October 2024.
6. "530 - West Galena – Naperville | Pace Suburban Bus". 4 October 2024.
7. "533 - Northeast Aurora | Pace Suburban Bus".
8. "802 - Aurora – Geneva via Lake | Pace Suburban Bus". 4 October 2024.

External links

• Media related to Aurora Transportation Center at Wikimedia Commons
• Metra – Stations – Aurora Transportation Center