Proposed Upgrades to Chicago Union Station

http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140616/loop/fix-union-station-campaign-sets-sites-on-improving-citys-rail-hub/

In many parts of Union Station, "you have the sense that you're in a basement instead of a train station," Harnish said.

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Check the slideshow for more details.

Hopefully this will get done in our lifetime, maybe they'll name it Barrack Obama Union Station like the Wilmington,DE station is named after Amtrak Joe Biden!

And NYP needs to be next, its a real dungeon! As Betty Davis said: "What a dump!"

I am lucky enough to remember using Union Station in it's glory - or close to it. I still remember the first time my folks took me in there to catch the Zephyr to Glenwood Springs,,,,,, I thought I was in an ant farm,,, everyone scurrying about,,, folks flowing and ebbing,,,, and then as a young man catching the CZ ,,, having dad drive down the tunnel (west side?) with a red cap running out to get the bags,,,,

I think NYP is much worse

NYP is much worse, but from what I can tell it is also far harder to actually fix for a host of reasons.

The current station is a mess, with little thought given to foot traffic flow. I hope the changes materialize in my lifetime... There's always the problem of money: both city and state are flat broke.

Several years ago I learned from news online or somethings that Union Station is going to be improved and build new lounge area for sleeper. They never finish with it. The lady from lounge desk told me about 4 years ago that they are work on new lounge at Great Hall. They never did it.

If you peek behind the construction curtains, you'll discover that construction on the new lounge was partly done, then suspended at some point. It looks like absestos & lead removal was done, demolition of obsolete stuff and perhaps some walls was done, and then... they stopped. I hope they'll get back to that soon.

I suspect that one reason the work on the lounge is on hold is that they are waiting for completion of the plans for other work in the station to be sure that anything done now in the lounge area is not in conflict with other planned work. For example, there is now a proposal to relocate Amtrak ticketing to the edge of the area where the first class lounge is planned to be.

Which, if any, parts of CUS are currently closed off for construction?

A friend and I should have a few hours to explore the station and nearby area next month, but neither of us have ever been to the station. Will we be able to check out the Great Hall? To get to it, do we just go through the central corridor from the area that has the Amtrak desk? Does that lead to the grand staircase? While we won't have a baby carriage, we do want to see it.

I've looked at some diagrams of the station, but the Great Hall end wasn't very detailed.

Also, while I'm playing 20 Questions:

From what I've read, the tracks don't go through the station. Therefore, I think we will be using only the south gate area--for CL and Card. Right?

Can we board from the Metropolitan Lounge, or do we exit the lounge to the general waiting area and go to the gate from there, just as non-sleeper passengers would? (Trying not to bug the lounge dragon with more questions than necessary!)

Will the Metro Lounge store our luggage for a few hours? If not, what can we do with it during the layover, assuming we have time to explore the area? No checked bags, just carry-ons.

Thanks!

Bit of station trivia: The question about the south gate area is probably a stupid one, but in Anniston, the southbound train comes into the station headed north, and the northbound train comes in headed south. (I know, only in AL!)

This is just a proposal. Nothing has been closed off yet. There may be some unrelated construction or upgrades going on, but I haven't seen anything recently.

The Great Hall is open to the public as long as it isn't reserved for a private event. Their Facebook page generally makes announcements about private events. They'll also put up velvet ropes and a sign.

From the Amtrak desk, you go through the corridor, like you said. The "baby carriage" staircase is to your right as you enter the hall. There are staircases on both sides.

Yes, the CL and Card depart from the South Concourse. The Metropolitan Lounge attendant will lead you on a kindergarten walk to the train, so you don't have to go through the general boarding area and gates. The lounge PA will announce when it's time to line up for boarding. You go to the rear exit (sliding doors). They're easy to see because they have a bit of a corral in front of them. One of the gate dragons will head over there and motion/call for people to line up. Then he/she leads you out to the track where your train is.

The lounge will hold your luggage. Just check in at the desk, and then turn around and hand your luggage to the RedCap in the luggage room. He/she will give you a check, like a coat check, with the time to return on it. I tip $1-2 per bag, depending on weight.

The gate dragons at the desk will give you a colored card with the time to return on it as well. This is your lounge pass. We hold onto them because it's super easy to flash those as we walk in. Otherwise, you have to pull up your ticket all over again.

Thanks a million, Sarah!

Just curious--Does the other staircase look the same as the one to the right (baby carriage stairs)? Do they both go up to streets, or to another level of the station? Trying to make a map in my little brain.

Another idle curiosity question:

For how long are the tracks underground after leaving the station?

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!

Couple of blocks, max. Not very long at all. You're not so much underground as you are below street level. If you look towards the river, you can see out to it the whole way in (I think).

crescent2 said:

Thanks a million, Sarah!

Just curious--Does the other staircase look the same as the one to the right (baby carriage stairs)? Do they both go up to streets, or to another level of the station? Trying to make a map in my little brain.

Another idle curiosity question:

For how long are the tracks underground after leaving the station?

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!

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Hmmm - I was always told that when you walk into the Great Hall from the Amtrak Ticketing area that the steps in the movie are the ones on the left. Both sets are about identical, but again, just what I have heard over the years. Even heard it from an Amtrak employee, once.

Sarah and MrFSS: I'd googled the baby carriage stairs (I usually attempt to find answers before I ask), and everything I checked just said "the" grand staircase at the Great Hall. On the not very detailed diagram I saw, nothing was marked.

Now we've got to settle this most important issue!! :help: Kevin and Andy, where are you when I need you?

And where do these stairs go?

Thanks~

And thanks, Ryan.

The southernmost entrance into the Great Hall from Canal Street was used in a memorable scene from the motion picture "The Untouchables"

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http://www.chicagounionstation.com/cusfacts.html

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I would say they're the stairs where it says "Up to Canal St/City Buses"

Yup, that makes it the staircase on the left (if you're entering the Great Hall from the corridor).

Crescent - both staircases exit onto Canal St. When you walk through that corridor between the Amtrak counter and the Great Hall, you're actually walking underneath Canal St.

That's why some people get twisted around. Above-ground, it looks like two buildings, while underground, it feels like one. Combine that with escalators that only go up (or down) and escalators that don't connect to the Food Court even though you think they would, and it's no wonder people get lost.

Sometimes I think CUS was inspired by Sarah Winchester.

AmtrakBlue said:

The southernmost entrance into the Great Hall from Canal Street was used in a memorable scene from the motion picture "The Untouchables"

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http://www.chicagounionstation.com/cusfacts.html

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I would say they're the stairs where it says "Up to Canal St/City Buses"

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Yep - thiose are the ones I was referring to and they go to the street (Canal St) that runs between The Great Hall and the part where the ticket offices are located.

On another note, CUS FB page recently had this picture of the gate area. This is how I remembered it in the 40's and 50's. Great structure given up for an office building just as NYP was destroyed.

I've stood exactly where that picture was taken, and can't begin to wrap my head around how different it looks today.

The next person to travel through there should stand in that spot and take a picture.

RyanS said:

I've stood exactly where that picture was taken, and can't begin to wrap my head around how different it looks today.

The next person to travel through there should stand in that spot and take a picture.

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All you get now is a bunch of recordings, saying, "Track 12, Track 12,Track 12,Track 12,Track 12, . . . "

Thanks, guys. I guess we'll let our luggage bounce down the left. LOL

I read quite a few reviews of CUS, and they are all over the place, more so than usual for reviews. Some say it's clean (except the restrooms) with lots of signage and friendly agents, and some say it's a vast wasteland that's nasty, full of aggressive panhandlers and obnoxious agents, and impossible to navigate.

This is going to be interesting. We small-town folk may need that kindergarten walk! With a scheduled eight hour layover, hopefully we'll manage to at least find the Metro Lounge. :blush:

Nice photo. It's a shame that so much of our beautiful architecture has been destroyed. You know, you go to Europe and they have centuries-old buildings, and we tear a lot of what we have down. I'm glad we'll get to see some that was not. Ryan, if we're not totally lost in space or sitting in Indiana, I'll try to remember to.

crescent2, consider getting a red cap when you get off the train in CHI. S/he'll take you right to the lounge. You can get one to take you to your next train too. Just remember to tip.

I was too impatient to wait for the red cap my first time there, but didn't have any trouble finding the lounge (after having done my homework via the internet). The main thing that will help is to find a pic (there's at least one somewhere on the forum) of the door to the lounge. It does sit back from the hall way, but can be seen easily.

Anderson said:

NYP is much worse, but from what I can tell it is also far harder to actually fix for a host of reasons.

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NYP is impossible to fix because it is totally trapped under the Garden and the office building; there is no original shell of a station there. It's only hope is to shift over to the giant post office on 8th Avenue.

There is a multi-story building over the track side of CUS, too, just like NYP (but no sports place thank heaven).

This is what the part with the building now on top had looked like.



And, from the outside the entire complex looked like this.

MrFSS said:

RyanS said:

I've stood exactly where that picture was taken, and can't begin to wrap my head around how different it looks today.

The next person to travel through there should stand in that spot and take a picture.

Click to expand...

All you get now is a bunch of recordings, saying, "Track 12, Track 12,Track 12,Track 12,Track 12, . . . "

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Those recordings drive me nuts, granted that for me it's a short drive. I will be through CUS in August. I can hardly wait for the cacophony!!!