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Loyola (CTA)
Encyclopedia
Loyola is a station
on the Chicago Transit Authority
's 'L' system
, served by the Red Line
. It is located at 1200 West Loyola Avenue (directional coordinates 6550 north, 1200 west) in the Rogers Park
neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station sees heavy use by students from its nearby namesake, the Lakeshore Campus of Loyola University Chicago
. The Red Line right-of-way
runs directly through the southwest corner of the campus.
This is the third station at this location; the original opened in 1908 and was rebuilt in 1921, the current station was built in 1982. The entrance to the original station was on Loyola Avenue, but the new station's entrance is technically on the west side of Sheridan Road, ideally situated across the street from a heavily-used Loyola campus entrance. On Loyola Avenue, there is still a passageway leading to the turnstile
s as well as an exit-only rotorgate. The station is accessible to those with disabilities.
The current platform is elevated on a fill embankment and an island between the southbound Red Line tracks to the west and the northbound Red Line tracks to the east. There is no platform access to the outside express tracks used by Purple Line Express trains
. The platform is exceptionally long and narrow, over 1000 feet (304.8 m) in length. It is also somewhat curved to the northwest. The platform is split in half by an elevator
shaft. Southbound trains stop at the north portion of the platform while northbound trains stop at the south portion, although these locations were reversed prior to August 1998. Both halves of the platform can handle eight-car trains, the typical car length in use on the Red Line. A viaduct
carries a portion of the southern platform over Sheridan Road
.
The station house itself is also fairly large and boasts a great deal of concession space. As of 2006, the Loyola station is home to a McDonald's
restaurant, a Dunkin' Donuts
, and a privately-owned newsstand. The latter two businesses are open twenty-four hours a day.
Between 1949 and 1976, Evanston Express trains (the service which would eventually be known as the Purple Line Express) also stopped at Loyola.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
on the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
's 'L' system
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
, served by the Red Line
Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood...
. It is located at 1200 West Loyola Avenue (directional coordinates 6550 north, 1200 west) in the Rogers Park
Rogers Park, Chicago
Rogers Park is one of the 77 Chicago community areas on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, and is also the name of the Chicago neighborhood that constitutes most of the community area...
neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station sees heavy use by students from its nearby namesake, the Lakeshore Campus of Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
. The Red Line right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
runs directly through the southwest corner of the campus.
This is the third station at this location; the original opened in 1908 and was rebuilt in 1921, the current station was built in 1982. The entrance to the original station was on Loyola Avenue, but the new station's entrance is technically on the west side of Sheridan Road, ideally situated across the street from a heavily-used Loyola campus entrance. On Loyola Avenue, there is still a passageway leading to the turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
s as well as an exit-only rotorgate. The station is accessible to those with disabilities.
The current platform is elevated on a fill embankment and an island between the southbound Red Line tracks to the west and the northbound Red Line tracks to the east. There is no platform access to the outside express tracks used by Purple Line Express trains
Purple Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a branch line on the northernmost section of the Chicago 'L' rapid transit network. Normally, it extends south from the Wilmette terminal at Linden Avenue, passing through Evanston to Howard Street, on Chicago's northern city limits...
. The platform is exceptionally long and narrow, over 1000 feet (304.8 m) in length. It is also somewhat curved to the northwest. The platform is split in half by an elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
shaft. Southbound trains stop at the north portion of the platform while northbound trains stop at the south portion, although these locations were reversed prior to August 1998. Both halves of the platform can handle eight-car trains, the typical car length in use on the Red Line. A viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
carries a portion of the southern platform over Sheridan Road
Sheridan Road
Sheridan Road is a major north-south thoroughfare that leads from Diversey Parkway in Chicago, Illinois, north to the Illinois-Wisconsin border and beyond to Racine. Throughout most of its run, it is the easternmost north-south through street, closest to Lake Michigan...
.
The station house itself is also fairly large and boasts a great deal of concession space. As of 2006, the Loyola station is home to a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurant, a Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
, and a privately-owned newsstand. The latter two businesses are open twenty-four hours a day.
Between 1949 and 1976, Evanston Express trains (the service which would eventually be known as the Purple Line Express) also stopped at Loyola.
Bus connections
CTA-
#147 Outer Drive Express -
#151 Sheridan -
#155 Devon