Wikipedia (
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"Joliet Union Station is a former commuter and long-distance railroad station in Joliet, Illinois serving both Amtrak long-distance and Metra commuter trains. It is in the process of being replaced by the new Joliet Transportation Center, a train station that is under construction in an adjacent location and is expected to go into service in spring 2016. Train service to Joliet Union Station permanently ceased in September 2014...
History
Train service to Joliet was begun by the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, a predecessor of the Rock Island Line, in 1852. Joliet Union Station was designed by architect Jarvis Hunt in the Beaux Arts Classical style, and was built in 1912. The City of Joliet owns two thirds of the station and Metra owns the other third. The former waiting room has been converted to a banquet hall that can hold 350 guests.
Joliet Union Station
This station used to serve the Southwest Chief until the BNSF merger in 1996 when Amtrak rerouted the Southwest Chief to the CB&Q to Galesburg. This station is the site of the old Rock Island Line diamond.
When originally built, there were pedestrian tunnels between the terminal and a platform between the first and second track on both the south and east sides of the building. Canopies also covered those platforms. However, the tunnels were later closed and the canopies removed. Finally passenger service on the east side of the building was moved to the third and fourth rails, requiring passengers to cross over the freight tracks to access the trains.[9] Later the number of Rock Island tracks on the south side of the building was reduced from four to one."