CUS Renovation

[frj1983]

This was announced today...Yahoo and about time!!!!!

IL Gov. Quinn held a press conference today at Chicago Union Station to annouce that Amtrak will be renovating Chicago Union Station.

The work will include:

Air conditioning the headhouse and main waiting room

Moving the first class waiting room into the headhouse

Expanding the restrooms

Expanding the coach passenger waiting room

Renovating the office space so that Amtrak's offices can be relocated into the headhouse

MHSRA has been advocating for a similar set of improvements for several years. We applaud Amtrak for taking these steps to improve this critical component of the Nation's transportation network.

Though the website hasn't been update to reflect today's announcements, you can read a background on the issue at: DowntownAirport.com

Rick Harnish

Executive Director

Midwest High Speed Rail Association

4765 N. Lincoln Ave.

Chicago, IL 60625

773-334-6758

Join us at MidwestHSR.org

 

[Eric S]

Here's a little bit more information:

Governor Quinn's press release: http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=8915

Short article about it: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/10/union-station-upgrade-air-conditioning-more-restrooms.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChicagoBreakingNews+(Chicago+Breaking+News

It's a $40 million project, expected completion late 2012.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

thats great news! CUS will need more capacity when all those new corridors open up (hey we can dream right?)

 

[gswager]

What is "headhouse"?

 

[haolerider]

What is "headhouse"?

Does anyone have a good floor plan of the station to better understand this new plan?

 

[Ryan]

Check out the DowntownAirport site in the first post - it has a good explanation and floor plan.

Particularly this page:

http://www.downtownairport.com/step02.htm

With this diagram:

The plan on that diagram isn't as comprehensive as the one announced today, but it'll help make sense of it all.

 

[gswager]

So that means the rental of "private" banquet in the Great Hall will be discontinued?

 

[zephyr17]

First time I was ever in CUS was when they were in process of tearing down the old Concourse and replacing it with the rabbit warren, so my memories of the older layout are vague. But on that diagram isn't the "new" location for the ticket counters about where they were originally? Or not, I easily could be wrong.

Also, if anyone knows where pics are of the interior of the old Concourse, I'd love to see them.

 

[rrdude]

First time I was ever in CUS was when they were in process of tearing down the old Concourse and replacing it with the rabbit warren, so my memories of the older layout are vague. But on that diagram isn't the "new" location for the ticket counters about where they were originally? Or not, I easily could be wrong.

Also, if anyone knows where pics are of the interior of the old Concourse, I'd love to see them.

Yep, at one time they were when I was working out of there in the late 70's. All of the commuter ticket offices were there. At one point there was a minor-renovation, and Amtrak moved the tix offices, (and built the baggage carousel) where they are presently located.

The WORST thing they ever did was move the passenger waiting rooms down where they are now. Granted, much closer to the gates/tracks. And more comfortable than the original wooden benches, but what a cluster-#%)%^ it is.

Me thinks that the original architects of CUS prolly had a good idea of "what went best where". After all, when it was built, a MUCH LARGER percentage of travelers rode the rails than they do now.

 

[rrdude]

What is "headhouse"?

In the context of rail transport, head house refers to that portion of a passenger terminal not housing the tracks and platforms themselves. Typically, the head house contains ticket counters, toilets and baggage facilities, if there are any. Frequently the head house is centered on a waiting room for passengers. The waiting room may lead directly to the platforms, or there may be a separate passenger concourse between the platforms and other facilities. Courtesy of Wiki-Liki-Miki-Sicki-Pedia

 

[Hanno]

The article I read on this subject mentioned that 140,000 people per day use CUS. I was somewhat surprised it was that many but after some thought it sounds reasonable. I would assume that Penn Station is the busiest with Philadelphia rounding out the big three. Am I correct?

 

[Eric S]

The article I read on this subject mentioned that 140,000 people per day use CUS. I was somewhat surprised it was that many but after some thought it sounds reasonable. I would assume that Penn Station is the busiest with Philadelphia rounding out the big three. Am I correct?

The overwhelming majority of passengers using Chicago Union Station each weekday are Metra passengers. I'm not familiar with total commuter rail traffic at major Northeastern rail stations. However, considering just Amtrak passengers, the five busiest Amtrak stations in 2009 were NYP (New York-Penn Station), WAS (Washington-Union Station), PHL (Philadelphia-30th St. Station), CHI (Chicago-Union Station), and LAX (Los Angeles-Union Station). Add in commuter rail passengers (LIRR & NJT at NYP; MARC & VRE at WAS; NJT & SEPTA at PHL; Metra at CHI; Metrolink at LAX; plus various other busy stations) and I'm sure the order would change.

 

[the_traveler]

In that diagram, where will the Metropolitan Lounge be located?

I didn't see a mention.

 

[zepherdude]

I was never in the old Union Station across the street, what happens there now? Is it just empty? Old Illinois Central cars laying around?

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Boston south Station should be ahead of LAX and Chicago no?

 

[Big Iron]

I was never in the old Union Station across the street, what happens there now? Is it just empty? Old Illinois Central cars laying around?

I believe the part of Union Station that was torn down was the concourse but I'm only guessing. One thing I remember about Union Station, as a young child in the mid-60's, was a part of the station where the floor was made of small square glass (clear) blocks, probably 4X4 inches. That must have been in the part of the station that was torn down.

Illinois Central used Central Station, so across the street from Union Station there are probably old CB&Q, GN, Milwaukee Road cars lying about. :huh:

 

[MikeM]

I was never in the old Union Station across the street, what happens there now? Is it just empty? Old Illinois Central cars laying around?

I believe the part of Union Station that was torn down was the concourse but I'm only guessing. One thing I remember about Union Station, as a young child in the mid-60's, was a part of the station where the floor was made of small square glass (clear) blocks, probably 4X4 inches. That must have been in the part of the station that was torn down.

Illinois Central used Central Station, so across the street from Union Station there are probably old CB&Q, GN, Milwaukee Road cars lying about. :huh:

You are correct about the concourse being the section that was torn down. Here is one link discussing the demolition and aftermath from the Chicago Tribune earlier this year, and here's the companion article to it. Both have some pictures of the demolished structure. Here is another articlelink discussing the history of CUT with some nice photos and background. Really a shame to have lost that part of the building, but at least money is getting spent to restore what's left and make it more usable. As it is now, the Great Hall just feels like a forgotten world much of the time.

 

[zephyr17]

I was never in the old Union Station across the street, what happens there now? Is it just empty? Old Illinois Central cars laying around?

I believe the part of Union Station that was torn down was the concourse but I'm only guessing. One thing I remember about Union Station, as a young child in the mid-60's, was a part of the station where the floor was made of small square glass (clear) blocks, probably 4X4 inches. That must have been in the part of the station that was torn down.

Illinois Central used Central Station, so across the street from Union Station there are probably old CB&Q, GN, Milwaukee Road cars lying about. :huh:

Yeah, it was the concourse that was torn down, while they kept the headhouse. I know they were well underway with the demolition of the concourse/construction of the office building in 1971 which was the first time I was ever through CUS. The concourse was between Canal St and the river, and the headhouse was (and is) between Canal and Clinton, so it is across the street (Canal) from the former Concourse/current rabbit warren.

Central Station was on the other side of downtown, almost on the lakefront, at Michigan and Roosevelt Rd. So there was no way it was "across the street" from any Union Station structure.

 

[Eric S]

Boston south Station should be ahead of LAX and Chicago no?

Considering Amtrak passengers only, no. The top ten (in order of Amtrak passengers in 2009) is: NYP, WAS, PHL, CHI, LAX, BOS, SAC, BAL, SAN, ALB.

 

[Eric S]

In that diagram, where will the Metropolitan Lounge be located?

I didn't see a mention.

That diagram is from the Midwest High Speed Rail Association's proposal for reorganizing Chicago Union Station, rather than the specific changes Amtrak will be making over the next 2 years. (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the MHSRA proposal shown on that diagram is more ambitious than Amtrak's.)

That being said, I believe that Amtrak will be moving the Metropolitan Lounge into the space on the diagram shown as "Part Retail, Part Vacant."