Richton Park is the penultimate station along the main branch of the Metra Electric line, in Richton Park, Illinois. It is located on Sauk Trail, east of Governor's Highway, and is 29.3 miles (47.2 km) away from the northern terminus at Millennium Station.[2] In Metra's zone-based fare system, Richton Park is in zone 3. As of 2018, Richton Park is the 47th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,059 weekday boardings.[1] The station has two tracks and one island platform, with one of the tracks ending at the station.

Richton Park
Richton Park station in April 2016.
General information
Location3807 Tower Drive
Richton Park, Illinois
Coordinates41°29′09″N 87°42′33″W / 41.4858°N 87.7092°W / 41.4858; -87.7092
Owned byMetra
Line(s)University Park Sub District
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsPace Buses
Construction
ParkingYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone3
History
Opened1946
Rebuilt1987
ElectrifiedOverhead line1,500 V DC
Passengers
20181,059 (average weekday)[1]Decrease 10.2%
Rank47 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station
University Park
Terminus
Metra Electric
Main Line
Matteson
Former services
Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station
Monee Main Line Matteson
toward Chicago
Terminus Electric Suburban
Main Line
Matteson
Location
Map
An Illinois Central train at Richton Park in 1968.

Richton Park was originally built by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1946, in order to be in close proximity to the south end of the "IC Electric" coach storage yard.[3][4] It served as the terminus of the line until 1977, when the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority funded the construction of University Park station.[2] Today, Richton Park station is a far more modern-looking structure. Parking is available on Sauk Trail between Governor's Highway and Richton Square Road, on Richton Road, Mill Drive, and along Tower Road.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b Metra Electric (Metra Railfan Tips)
  3. ^ Metra Electric South Chicago Yard (WikiMapia)
  4. ^ "Chicago’s Finest Transportation: The Illinois Central Electric" by John G. Allen and Roy G. Benedict Archived 2014-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
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