Railfan Guide
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Passenger operations are detailed in our Passenger Guide to Joliet Union Station. Metra maintains a coach yard just east of the Rock Island District platform, and although inaccessible to the public, it can be seen from public streets. Metra uses the former interchange track between the Rock Island and GM&O as a connection to bring Heritage Corridor trains in and out of the coach yard.
The former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (now Canadian National) East Joliet yard and the crossing of the "J" and the former-Rock Island are about 1.5 miles east of the Joliet Union Station, but are both generally inaccessible from public areas.
Several miles south of downtown Joliet, BNSF and UP maintain two separate and massive intermodal yards. Union Pacific's Global IV is located just to the west of the Chicagoland Speedway race track, while BNSF Logistics Park Chicago is next to the small town of Elwood. Both are part of the redevelopment of the former Joliet Arsenal land, which also includes the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
The former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (now Canadian National) East Joliet yard and the crossing of the "J" and the former-Rock Island are about 1.5 miles east of the Joliet Union Station, but are both generally inaccessible from public areas.
Several miles south of downtown Joliet, BNSF and UP maintain two separate and massive intermodal yards. Union Pacific's Global IV is located just to the west of the Chicagoland Speedway race track, while BNSF Logistics Park Chicago is next to the small town of Elwood. Both are part of the redevelopment of the former Joliet Arsenal land, which also includes the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
Joliet Gateway Center
This drone photo looks south over the BNSF and UP mainlines, showing the realignment of tracks 2 and 3, the new Gateway Center and platform, and its relationship to the 1912 building. A Chicago-bound "Texas Eagle" gets a helping had from some UP power after the Amtrak engine hit a tree earlier in its journey. Photo taken 1/13/2020 by Jacob Diorio.
The original 1912 station no longer serves passengers, but a metal fence has been built around the original station platform, short enough for photography and the platform is open to the public and accessible by stairs. The former waiting room is now a banquet facility and a brew pub moved into the ground floor in 2017. The renovations for the microbrewery have altered several features of the historic station building, including the original express and baggage areas as well as the courtyard entrance and driveway.
The waiting room building for the Joliet Gateway Center has a Metra and Amtrak ticket office, as well as a coffee shop and access to both platforms and UD Tower. The City of Joliet provides security.
The original interlocking tower (named UD for Union Depot,) which was formerly staffed by Metra (and previous to that the Rock Island) has been closed, and the signaling and control functions have been automated and transferred to Union Pacific in Omaha and BNSF in Fort Worth. (The control point is named "UD Tower.") The tower building was kept in place, and the contents of the tower are being preserved, with the city working with Blackhawk on turning the tower into a museum and viewing platform.
The waiting room building for the Joliet Gateway Center has a Metra and Amtrak ticket office, as well as a coffee shop and access to both platforms and UD Tower. The City of Joliet provides security.
The original interlocking tower (named UD for Union Depot,) which was formerly staffed by Metra (and previous to that the Rock Island) has been closed, and the signaling and control functions have been automated and transferred to Union Pacific in Omaha and BNSF in Fort Worth. (The control point is named "UD Tower.") The tower building was kept in place, and the contents of the tower are being preserved, with the city working with Blackhawk on turning the tower into a museum and viewing platform.