Evanston Central Street (Metra)

Infobox Station
name=Evanston Central Street
type=Metra regional rail

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image_size=275px
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address=1826 Central Avenue
Evanston, IL
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line=Rail color box|system=Metra|line=Union Pacific/North
other=CTA and Pace Buses
structure=
platform=2
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parking=
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ADA=True
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zone=C
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Evanston Central Street is the northernmost of the three commuter railroad stations in Evanston, Illinois, USA. It is an elevated station at Green Bay Road and Central Street, surrounded by a neighborhood of stores, restaurants and multi-story apartment buildings. Just north of the station, the tracks descend to grade and pass through Wilmette on ground level.

Central Street station is served by Metra's Union Pacific/North Line, with service south to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago and as far north as Kenosha, Wisconsin. In Metra's zone-based fare schedule, Central Street is in zone C. There are two platforms: northbound trains stop at the west platform, and southbound trains stop at the east platform. Central Street has a station house on the east platform. The station house contains a ticket booth as well as a coffee and pastry shop named "Top of the Tracks." The station house is open from 5:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and a ticket agent is present during these hours on weekdays.

This is the closest Metra station to Northwestern University's sports complex at Ryan Field. Chicago Transit Authority's Central station on the Purple Line is less than a mile to the east.

A highly unusual incident occurred at this station on August 23, 2006, when a train bound from Kenosha to Chicago ran out of fuel, apparently due to employee error. [ [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/lake/chi-0608250289aug25,1,5015088.story?coll=chi-news-hed] Dead link|date=March 2008]

Bus Connections

CTA Buses
* #201 Central/Ridge
* #206 Evanston Circulator

Pace Buses
* #213 Green Bay Road

References

External links

* [http://www.centralstreetneighbors.com/?q=node/231 Photo of Metra train pulling into Evanston Central Street station]
* [http://www.metrarail.com/Sched/cnw_n/central.shtml Metra - Evanston Central Street]