Disabled access Yes | Structure type Elevated Opened 5 December 1930 Tracks 2 | |
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Location 350 North Wells StreetChicago, Illinois 60654 Address Chicago, IL 60654, United States Similar Washington/Wells station, Clark/Lake station, State/Lake station, Sedgwick (CTA), Diversey (CTA) | ||
Chicago el from randolph station to merchandise mart station
Merchandise Mart is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, located in the Near North Side neighborhood at 350 North Wells Street in Chicago, Illinois (directional coordinates 320 north, 200 west). The station is elevated above street level, on a steel structure. The turnstiles and customer assistant booth of the current station are located on the second level of the Merchandise Mart itself. This is the main entrance to the station, although there are two fare-card only, unattended entrances atop two long stairways accessed directly from Wells Street, just north of Kinzie Avenue. The station is constructed mostly of steel, with wooden platforms covered by a canopy most of their length. There are two side platforms both long enough to support eight-car trains, the longest possible on the CTA system. The southbound platform is just slightly below the level of the station entrance while an enclosed bridge over the tracks connects to the northbound platform on the opposite side. The station is fully accessible, resulting in a complicated elevator setup. The elevator on the southbound platform can lower from the entrance to the platform, as well as go up to the top of the bridge. Another elevator on the opposite side of the bridge lowers to the northbound platform.
Contents
Cta brownline train arrives at merchandise mart station
History
The original station opened on December 5, 1930, and was rebuilt from 1987 to 1988. Prior to 1963 the station also served interurban trains of the North Shore Line. The primary purpose of the station is to serve the Merchandise Mart, one of the world's largest commercial buildings, although there are some galleries and restaurants nearby.
Service
Merchandise Mart serves the Brown Line, but Purple Line Express trains also stop at the station during weekday rush hours. Merchandise Mart is the only Brown Line station not scheduled to receive upgrades or renovation during the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project. Because of its recent construction from 1987 to 1988, the station is ADA-compliant and is already of sufficient length to accommodate eight-car trains, thus no major renovation is needed.
Bus connections
CTA