Chicago Subdivision

{{Short description|Railroad line in Illinois, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{About|the Chicago–Aurora railway line|the Chicago–Sabula railway line|Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad}}{{Redirect|The Racetrack|3=Race track (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox rail line | box_width = 300px | name = Chicago Subdivision | other_name = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | color = FF7F00 | color2 = {{rcr|Metra|BNSF}} | logo = | logo_width = | logo_alt = | image = BNSF freight train w- Norfolk Southern foreign power.jpg | image_width = 300px | image_alt = | caption = BNSF ES44AC No. 6177 leads on the Chicago Subdivision at [[Harlem Avenue station]] | type = {{ubl|[[Commuter rail]]|[[Freight rail]]|[[Inter-city rail]]}} | system = [[Northern Transcon]] | status =  | locale = [[Chicago metropolitan area]] | start = [[Chicago Union Station|Chicago]] | end = [[Aurora, Illinois|Aurora]] | continuesfrom = [[Aurora Subdivision]] | continuesas = [[C&M Subdivision]] | stations = 27 | routes = | daily_ridership = | ridership2 = | planopen =  | open =  | yearcommenced =  | yearcompleted =  | close =  | event1label = | event1 = | event2label = | event2 = | event3label = | event3 = | owner = [[BNSF Railway]] | operator = {{ubl|BNSF Railway|[[Metra]]|[[Amtrak]]}} | character = | depot = | stock = | linelength_km = | linelength_mi = 38 | linelength = | tracklength_km = | tracklength_mi = | tracklength = | tracks = 3–4 | gauge = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}} | old_gauge = | load_gauge = | minradius = | racksystem = | routenumber = | linenumber = | electrification = | speed_km/h = | speed_mph = 70 | speed = | signalling = | trainprotection = [[Positive train control|PTC]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bnsf.com/in-the-community/safety-and-security/positive-train-control/pdf/bnsf-ptc-flyer.pdf|title=Leading the way in PTC|website=[[BNSF Railway]]|date=March 2018|access-date=April 1, 2026}}</ref> | elevation_m = | elevation_ft = | elevation = | website = | map = {{Chicago Subdivision}} | map_name = | map_state = collapsed | embedded = }}

The '''Chicago Subdivision''' or '''Chicago Sub''' is a [[railroad]] line in [[Illinois]] that runs about {{convert|38|mi}} from [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] to [[Aurora, Illinois|Aurora]] and hosts [[Metra]]'s [[BNSF Line]] [[commuter rail|commuter service]]. It is operated by [[BNSF Railway]] as the easternmost part of the railroad's [[Northern Transcon]] to [[Seattle, Washington]].<ref name="eola-aurora">{{cite web|url=http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Eola%20to%20Aurora.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710144538/http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Eola%20to%20Aurora.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 10, 2011|title=Eola to Aurora|author=Don Winter|accessdate=June 4, 2010}}</ref><ref name="lagrange-eola">{{cite web|url=http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/La%20Grange%20to%20Eola%20%28CB&Q%29.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710144543/http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/La%20Grange%20to%20Eola%20(CB&Q).htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 10, 2011|title=La Grange to Eola (ex-CB&Q)|author=Don Winter|accessdate=June 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name="cicero-lagrange">{{cite web|url=http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Cicero%20to%20La%20Grange%20%28CB&Q%29.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710144547/http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Cicero%20to%20La%20Grange%20(CB&Q).htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 10, 2011|title=Cicero to La Grange (ex-CB&Q)|author=Don Winter|accessdate=June 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name="western-cicero">{{cite web|url=http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Western%20Avenue%20to%20Cicero%20%28CB&Q%29.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710144551/http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Western%20Avenue%20to%20Cicero%20(CB&Q).htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 10, 2011|title=Western Avenue to Cicero (ex-CB&Q)|author=Don Winter|accessdate=June 5, 2010}}</ref> This line is colloquially known as '''The''' '''Racetrack''' because it is mostly triple-tracked and supports fairly fast trains. It had been operated by a BNSF ancestor, the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]], which introduced high-speed ''[[Pioneer Zephyr|Zephyr]]'' passenger trains in 1934 and ran many of them along this subdivision from Chicago to points west.

The Chicago Subdivision meets the [[Aurora Subdivision]] and [[Mendota Subdivision]] in Aurora. Commuter service ends at the [[Aurora Transportation Center]], though [[Amtrak]] trains continue southwest on the Mendota Subdivision. Triple-tracking runs from where track leading to the Aurora station and Metra Yard joins the subdivision eastward to [[Cicero, Illinois|Cicero]], where multiple tracks from a yard join. It is then quadruple-tracked for the rest of the way until the turn to [[Union Station (Chicago)|Union Station]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.me.com/willvdv/chirailfan/mmbnsf.html|title=Railfan tips/operating detail|author=Bill Vandervoort|work=Chicago Transit & Railfan|accessdate=June 4, 2010}}</ref> {{As of|2025}} weekday traffic on the subdivision was 97 Metra commuter trains, eight Amtrak intercity trains, and 60 BNSF freight trains.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=2025-09-08 |title=BNSF Line effective 09/08/2025 |url=https://schedules.metrarail.com/pdf/BNSF.pdf |website=metrarail.com |publisher=Metra |access-date=2025-09-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Metra mojo | author=Blaszak, Michael W. | journal=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] |date=March 2015 | volume=75 | issue=3 | pages=53}}</ref>

After the introduction of the CB&Q ''Zephyrs'', train speeds increased significantly around the country for the next decade or so, but the [[Naperville train disaster]] along these tracks in 1946 was one event that contributed to the federal government restricting speeds in later years. Trains that had once traveled at or above {{convert|100|mph}} were soon restricted to a maximum of {{convert|79|mph}}.<ref name="dieselization">{{cite web|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/group/steam_tech/message/54227|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709213710/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/steam_tech/message/54227|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2012|title=Hiawatha dieselization|author=William Wendt|publisher=Yahoo Groups|date=July 30, 2007|accessdate=June 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name="gruber-solomon">{{cite book|author=John Gruber and Brian Solomon|title=The Milwaukee Road's Hiawathas|publisher=Voyageur Press|date=2006|isbn=978-0-7603-2395-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=4424 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100624120252/http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=4424 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2010 |title=Ask Trains from November 2008 |date=December 23, 2008 |publisher=Trains Magazine |accessdate=June 5, 2010 }}</ref> Much of this line has a speed limit of {{convert|70|mph}} for passenger trains, while freight trains run slower.<ref name="eola-aurora"/><ref name="lagrange-eola"/><ref name="cicero-lagrange"/><ref name="western-cicero"/>

==Passenger Services== *[[Metra]] **[[BNSF Line]] *[[Amtrak]] **''[[California Zephyr]]'' **''[[Southwest Chief]]'' **''[[Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg]]''

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{url|1=https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/maps-and-shipping-locations/pdf/subdivisions-map.pdf|2=BNSF Subdivisions}}

[[Category:BNSF Railway lines]] [[Category:Rail lines in Illinois]]