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Millennium Station
Concourse of Millennium Station
General information
Location	151 East Randolph Street Chicago Loop,Chicago, IL 60601
Coordinates	(150 N/150 E) 41°53′09″N87°37′24″W / 41.88594°N 87.62345°W /41.88594; -87.62345
Owned by	Metra
Platforms	6island platforms (plus one unused)
Tracks	12 revenue (7 upper-level South Shore Line, 5 lower-level Metra), 1 non-revenue[1]
Connections	BrownOrangePinkPurpleGreen atWashington/​Wabash CTA Buses Chicago Pedway
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	1 (Metra and South Shore)
History
Opened	1856, 1926
Rebuilt	1985, 2005
Electrified	Overhead line, 1,500 V DC
Previous names	Randolph Street Station or Randolph Street Terminal
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station Van Buren Street towardUniversity Park,South Chicago orBlue Island Metra Electric Terminus Preceding station NICTD Following station Van Buren Street towardSouth Bend Airport South Shore Line Terminus
Future services Preceding station NICTD Following station Van Buren Street towardMunster/Dyer Main Street Monon Corridor peak hours Terminus
Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station Van Buren Street towardRichton,91st Street orBlue Island Electric Suburban Terminus Van Buren Street towardAddison West Suburban
Track layout Legend ME platforms platforms MEto University Park,Blue Island, andSouth Chicago toSouth Bend Airport
Location

Millennium Station, (previously known asRandolph Street Terminal and occasionally referred to asRandolph Street station orRandolph/South Water Street station) is a commuter rail terminal located in theLoop area ofdowntown Chicago. It marks the northern endpoint of theMetra Electric District line, which connects to the southern suburbs of Chicago, and also serves as the western terminus for theSouth Shore Line, providing access toGary,Michigan City, andSouth Bend, Indiana.

Now located underMillennium Park, aterminal station (Great Central Station) was first established here in the 1800s by theIllinois Central Railroad (IC) but has gone through several re-configurations. Most recently, it was rebuilt with the park in the early 21st century and is owned by Metra through its operating arm, the Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation. Not counting commuters on the South Shore Line, over 18,000 people board Metra trains at Millennium Station each day.^[2] During peak periods, trains leave the terminal as frequently as twice a minute. It is thethird-busiest train station in Chicago.

AsGreat Central Station, Randolph Street Terminal, along withVan Buren Street a few blocks south, was IC's primary downtown Chicago terminal until the completion in 1893 ofCentral Station (closed 1972) just south ofGrant Park at today's Roosevelt Road. It still received many trains thereafter, but was of secondary importance. Its importance increased dramatically in 1926 with the electrification of commuter services on IC's main line and its Blue Island and South Chicago branches. Commuter trains from all three branches were now routed into the Randolph Street terminal, while intercity traffic continued to terminate at Central Station.

For many years, the station platforms were exposed and the ticketing facilities and the waiting room were located in the attached facility. The construction ofMillennium Park gradually placed the entire station "underground." Randolph Street Station existed in a state of perpetual construction from the mid-1980s until 2005: exposed steel girders covered in flame retardant, unpainted plywood walls, bare concrete floors, and dim utility lights created a notoriously unfriendly, cave-like environment.Skidmore, Owings and Merrill was the architect for the station redesign.^[3] With the completion of construction in 2005, the station was renamed Millennium Station. However, many longtime Chicago-area residents still call it "Randolph Street Terminal."

The main entrance to the station is at the southwest corner of the intersection of Randolph Street andMichigan Avenue.^[4] From the entrance, a concourse lined with shops and restaurants leads to the main waiting area.^[5] The waiting area consists of a number of benches and ticket vending machines as well as a ticket counter and information desk for Metra.^[6]

From the waiting room, there is a passage to the upper-level South Shore Line platforms, and along this passage is a set of ticket windows for the South Shore Line.^[7] At the north end of the South Shore Line platforms, there is a set of ticket vending machines. On the lower level are the Metra tracks, accessed by staircases or ramps from the concourse.^[8] The Metra platforms have a secondary exit at Lower South Water Street on the north end. This exit is due to be reconstructed in the near future.^[9]

CTA

• 3 King Drive
• 4 Cottage Grove (Owl Service)
• X4 Cottage Grove Express
• 6 Jackson Park Express
• 19 United Center Express
• 20 Madison
• 26 South Shore Express
• 60 Blue Island/26th
• N66 Chicago (Owl Service)
• 124 Navy Pier
• 143 Stockton/Michigan Express
• 147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express
• 148 Clarendon/Michigan Express
• 151 Sheridan
• 157 Streeterville/Taylor

Pace

• 855 Plainfield-East Loop Express

ChicaGo Dash

• Shuttle Service between Downtown Chicago andValparaiso (Rush Hour Only)

Millennium Station acts as a central hub for various connections within theChicago Pedway, linking it to numerous hotels, residential and office buildings, "L" stations, and other prominent sites. The pedway features a variety of shops, restaurants, and services. Although certain sections are accessible around the clock, the majority shut down by 7:00 PM on weekdays and 6:00 PM on weekends, limiting access during off-hours.

• Smurfit–Stone Building
• Chicago Cultural Center
• The Heritage at Millennium Park
• Washington/Wabash station
• Macy's
• Lake/State station
• Block 37
• Washington/Dearborn station
• Richard J. Daley Center
• Cook County Building

• Harris Theater
• Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• Two Prudential Plaza
• Aon Center
• Lakeshore Athletic Club
• Fairmont Hotel
• Park Millennium Condominiums
• Aqua building

• Boulevard Towers
• Illinois Center
• Hyatt Regency Chicago
• Columbus Plaza
• Renaissance Hotel
• Swissotel Chicago
• Aqua building

In the 2008 filmThe Dark Knight, there is a brief shot where theBatpod is driven through Millennium Station's concourse during a chase scene.^[10]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMillennium Station (Chicago).

• Chicago Millennium Station (Metra Electric)
• (Chicago) Millennium Station at Randolph Street (NICTD)
• Randolph Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• City of Chicago Millennium Park
• Millennium Park mapArchived 2017-07-11 at theWayback Machine
• City of Chicago Loop Community Map

• Metra stations in Chicago
• Millennium Park
• South Shore Line stations in Illinois
• Former Illinois Central Railroad stations
• Railway stations in the United States opened in 1856
• Railway stations located underground in Illinois
• Underground commuter rail

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