# Chicago Subdivision

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chicago_Subdivision
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chicago_Subdivision.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Subdivision
> Source revision: 1356010713
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Railroad line in Illinois, United States

This article is about the Chicago–Aurora railway line. For the Chicago–Sabula railway line, see [Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad](/source/Iowa%2C_Chicago_and_Eastern_Railroad).

"The Racetrack" redirects here. For other uses, see [Race track (disambiguation)](/source/Race_track_(disambiguation)).

Chicago Subdivision BNSF ES44AC No. 6177 leads on the Chicago Subdivision at Harlem Avenue station Overview Owner BNSF Railway Locale Chicago metropolitan area Termini Chicago Aurora Continues from Aurora Subdivision Continues as C&M Subdivision Stations 27 Service Type Commuter rail Freight rail Inter-city rail System Northern Transcon Operators BNSF Railway Metra Amtrak Technical Line length 38 mi (61 km) Number of tracks 3–4 Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Operating speed 70 mph (110 km/h) Train protection system PTC[1] Route map v t e Legend Chicago Subdivision mi Aurora Subdivision Mendota Subdivision Fox River Aurora original station 38.4 Aurora Transportation Center Metra yard 33.4 Eola Eola Yard Elgin, Joliet & Eastern / Canadian National 31.6 Route 59 28.4 Naperville 24.4 Lisle 22.9 Belmont 21.1 Downers Grove Main Street 20.3 Fairview Avenue 19.4 Westmont 18.2 Clarendon Hills 17.8 West Hinsdale 16.8 Hinsdale 16.3 Highlands 15.4 Western Springs 14.1 Stone Avenue 13.7 La Grange Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad 13.0 Congress Park 12.3 Brookfield Salt Creek 11.7 Hollywood Des Plaines River 11.0 Riverside 10.0 Harlem Avenue 9.6 Berwyn 9.0 La Vergne Illinois Central / CN Freeport Subdivision 8.5 Clyde Cicero Yard 7.0 Cicero Belt Railway of Chicago Pink CR&I Industrial Track / Norfolk Southern 3.7 Western Avenue Western Avenue Yard 1.8 Halsted Street Norfolk Southern Chicago Line St. Charles Air Line to Chicago Subdivision BNSF Coach Yard Amtrak Yard 0.0 Chicago C&M Subdivision

The **Chicago Subdivision** or **Chicago Sub** is a [railroad](/source/Railroad) line in [Illinois](/source/Illinois) that runs about 38 miles (61 km) from [Chicago](/source/Chicago%2C_Illinois) to [Aurora](/source/Aurora%2C_Illinois) and hosts [Metra](/source/Metra)'s [BNSF Line](/source/BNSF_Line) [commuter service](/source/Commuter_rail). It is operated by [BNSF Railway](/source/BNSF_Railway) as the easternmost part of the railroad's [Northern Transcon](/source/Northern_Transcon) to [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle%2C_Washington).[2][3][4][5] 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](/source/Chicago%2C_Burlington_and_Quincy_Railroad), which introduced high-speed *[Zephyr](/source/Pioneer_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](/source/Aurora_Subdivision) and [Mendota Subdivision](/source/Mendota_Subdivision) in Aurora. Commuter service ends at the [Aurora Transportation Center](/source/Aurora_Transportation_Center), though [Amtrak](/source/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](/source/Cicero%2C_Illinois), where multiple tracks from a yard join. It is then quadruple-tracked for the rest of the way until the turn to [Union Station](/source/Union_Station_(Chicago)).[6] As of 2025[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_Subdivision&action=edit) weekday traffic on the subdivision was 97 Metra commuter trains, eight Amtrak intercity trains, and 60 BNSF freight trains.[7][8]

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](/source/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 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) were soon restricted to a maximum of 79 miles per hour (127 km/h).[9][10][11] Much of this line has a speed limit of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) for passenger trains, while freight trains run slower.[2][3][4][5]

## Passenger Services

- [Metra](/source/Metra) - [BNSF Line](/source/BNSF_Line)

- [Amtrak](/source/Amtrak) - *[California Zephyr](/source/California_Zephyr)* - *[Southwest Chief](/source/Southwest_Chief)* - *[Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg](/source/Illinois_Zephyr_and_Carl_Sandburg)*

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Leading the way in PTC"](https://www.bnsf.com/in-the-community/safety-and-security/positive-train-control/pdf/bnsf-ptc-flyer.pdf) (PDF). *[BNSF Railway](/source/BNSF_Railway)*. March 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-eola-aurora_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-eola-aurora_2-1) Don Winter. ["Eola to Aurora"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110710144538/http://donwinter.com/Railroad%20Infrastructure%20and%20Traffic%20Data/Regions/Chicago/Route%20Descriptions/Eola%20to%20Aurora.htm). Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-lagrange-eola_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-lagrange-eola_3-1) Don Winter. ["La Grange to Eola (ex-CB&Q)"](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). Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cicero-lagrange_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cicero-lagrange_4-1) Don Winter. ["Cicero to La Grange (ex-CB&Q)"](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). Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2010.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-western-cicero_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-western-cicero_5-1) Don Winter. ["Western Avenue to Cicero (ex-CB&Q)"](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). Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Bill Vandervoort. ["Railfan tips/operating detail"](http://web.me.com/willvdv/chirailfan/mmbnsf.html). *Chicago Transit & Railfan*. Retrieved June 4, 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["BNSF Line effective 09/08/2025"](https://schedules.metrarail.com/pdf/BNSF.pdf) (PDF). *metrarail.com*. Metra. 2025-09-08. Retrieved 2025-09-08.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Blaszak, Michael W. (March 2015). "Metra mojo". *[Trains](/source/Trains_(magazine))*. **75** (3): 53.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-dieselization_9-0)** William Wendt (July 30, 2007). ["Hiawatha dieselization"](https://groups.yahoo.com/group/steam_tech/message/54227). Yahoo Groups. Retrieved June 5, 2010.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-gruber-solomon_10-0)** John Gruber and Brian Solomon (2006). *The Milwaukee Road's Hiawathas*. Voyageur Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7603-2395-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7603-2395-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Ask Trains from November 2008"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100624120252/http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=4424). Trains Magazine. December 23, 2008. Archived from [the original](http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=4424) on June 24, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Chicago Subdivision](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chicago_Subdivision).

- [BNSF Subdivisions](https://www.bnsf.com/ship-with-bnsf/maps-and-shipping-locations/pdf/subdivisions-map.pdf)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chicago Subdivision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Subdivision) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Subdivision?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.