Imagine for a second the city of the future. Commuting in on a sleek, quietly-running electric train car, then disembarking into a subterranean station appointed with all manner of kiosks and shops. Then on your way out, you pass a connection to a great underground walkway connecting you to half of the city. And then to top it all off, you emerge into a beautifully arranged park, with any number of cultural locales at your fingertips. Now what if that fantasy were to become a reality? Well actually, it already is a reality right now. Welcome to Millennium Station.
First off, a little back story: in 2004, Millennium Park was finally completed(albeit four years late). Along with being one of the crowning achievements of Mayor Richard M. Daley, the park also served to beautify what for many decades had been an open-air train yard. That yard had served Metra Electric trains,(as well as the NICTD's South Shore Line) for many years under the name Randolph St. Station. When Millennium Park was built, Randolph Station became fully enclosed. The station itself had been a very spartan place for years, and so it was decided to spruce it up a bit. The new Millennium Station opened its doors in 2005.
As preciously mentioned, the station serves the Metra Electric line(which is also serviced by Van Buren St. Station, making it the only Metra line served by two different downtown stations.), as well as the South Shore Line in the track level. Along with the preexisting trackage, the station features a centralized ticket counter and waiting area. There are a variety of shops on the Mezzanine level, as well as a walkway to the South Shore gates. At the exit to the station, you can choose to either walk upstairs into Millennium Park, connect to the Pedway system, or take an elevator up into the lobby of the Cultural Center. Wherever you decide to go, Chicago's newest Metra station is a fitting tribute to the city motto: Urbs in Horto(which means City in a Garden), as well as a tantalizing glimpse into the future.
First off, a little back story: in 2004, Millennium Park was finally completed(albeit four years late). Along with being one of the crowning achievements of Mayor Richard M. Daley, the park also served to beautify what for many decades had been an open-air train yard. That yard had served Metra Electric trains,(as well as the NICTD's South Shore Line) for many years under the name Randolph St. Station. When Millennium Park was built, Randolph Station became fully enclosed. The station itself had been a very spartan place for years, and so it was decided to spruce it up a bit. The new Millennium Station opened its doors in 2005.
As preciously mentioned, the station serves the Metra Electric line(which is also serviced by Van Buren St. Station, making it the only Metra line served by two different downtown stations.), as well as the South Shore Line in the track level. Along with the preexisting trackage, the station features a centralized ticket counter and waiting area. There are a variety of shops on the Mezzanine level, as well as a walkway to the South Shore gates. At the exit to the station, you can choose to either walk upstairs into Millennium Park, connect to the Pedway system, or take an elevator up into the lobby of the Cultural Center. Wherever you decide to go, Chicago's newest Metra station is a fitting tribute to the city motto: Urbs in Horto(which means City in a Garden), as well as a tantalizing glimpse into the future.
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