East 63rd branch

The East 63rd branch, formerly known as the Jackson Park branch, is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long branch of the Chicago "L" operated as part the Green Line by the Chicago Transit Authority, serving the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

East 63rd branch
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Termini	King Drive Cottage Grove
Stations	2
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago "L"
Services	Green
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority (1947–present) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924–1947) South Side Elevated Railroad (1893–1924)
Rolling stock	5000-series
History
Opened	1893
Technical
Line length	1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Character	Elevated
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map South Side Main Line to Loop 61st 61st Yard Lower 63rd Yard King Drive Cottage Grove University Dorchester Metra Electric and South Shore Line Jackson Park Jackson Park

History

The first station on the East 63rd branch, 61st Street, opened January 22, 1893. Service was extended to Madison Avenue (later renamed Dorchester) on April 23, 1893, and to Jackson Park on May 12, 1893, to serve the World's Columbian Exposition, which was held in Jackson Park. On October 31, 1893, the World's Columbian Exposition ended and the Jackson Park station was closed. Stony Island was then made the terminus and was renamed Jackson Park.

On March 4, 1982, structural defects in the Jackson Park branch's bridge over the Illinois Central Railroad forced its closure south of the 61st street stop. When the branch reopened on December 12, 1982, service was only restored as far as the University stop. On January 9, 1994, the Green Line closed for renovation. When the line reopened on May 12, 1996, the Cottage Grove stop was the new terminal, and the Jackson Park branch was renamed the East 63rd branch. On September 27, 1997, the portion of the branch east of Cottage Grove was demolished with less than 24 hours public notice.[1]

Station listing

Station[2]	Location	Points of interest & notes
61st	61st Street and Prairie Avenue	Opened January 22, 1893, closed January 9, 1994.
King Drive	Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 63rd Street	Woodlawn, Inbound boarding only ↑
Cottage Grove	Cottage Grove Avenue and 63rd Street	University of Chicago, University of Chicago Medical Center, Jackson Park, Oak Woods Cemetery, Woodlawn
University	University Avenue and 63rd Street	Opened April 23, 1893, closed January 9, 1994.
Dorchester	Dorchester Avenue and 63rd Street	Opened April 23, 1893 as "Madison," closed January 13, 1973.
Jackson Park	Stony Island Avenue and 63rd Street	Opened May 12, 1893, as "Stony Island" closed March 4, 1982.
Jackson Park	Hayes Drive and Cornell Drive	World's Columbian Exposition Fair Grounds, opened May 12, 1893. Transfer point to the Intramural Railway. Closed October 31, 1893

References

1. Green Line:East 63rd (Jackson Park) branch Chicago "L".org. Accessed August 16, 2013
2. Chicago Elevated Chicago Elevated Railways 1913. Accessed August 16, 2013