Foster station

Foster   2000N 900W
File:Southbound track at Foster (51009593913).jpg
General information
Location	900 Foster Street Evanston, Illinois 60201
Coordinates
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line	Evanston Branch
Platforms	1 Island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Accessible	No
History
Opened	January 6, 1909 (1909-01-06)
Rebuilt	1931 (1931)
Passengers
2024	135,441 Decrease 1.8% (CTA)
Services
Preceding station File:Chicago Transit Authority Logo.svg Chicago "L" Following station Noyes toward Linden Purple Line Davis toward Howard or Loop (Clark/Lake)
Former services Preceding station Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad Following station Noyes toward North Chicago Junction North Shore Line Shore Line Route Church toward Roosevelt Road
Track layout File:BSicon MFADEg.svg File:BSicon uDSTR(r).svg File:BSicon MFADEg.svg File:BSicon uDSTR(l).svg File:BSicon uSTRf.svg File:BSicon lDSTR(r).svg File:BSicon uSTRg.svg File:BSicon POINTERf@gq.svg File:BSicon lDSTR(l).svg Purple to Linden File:BSicon RP2q.svg File:BSicon MSTR.svg File:BSicon uDSTR.svg File:BSicon RP2q.svg File:BSicon MSTR.svg File:BSicon uDSTR.svg File:BSicon RP2q.svg File:BSicon RP2q.svg Hamlin St. File:BSicon uePSTR(L).svg File:BSicon exPLTr.svg File:BSicon lhSTR(r).svg File:BSicon uePSTR(R).svg File:BSicon lhSTR(l).svg File:BSicon POINTERf@fq.svg File:BSicon exPLTr.svg File:BSicon uhPSTR(L).svg File:BSicon uhPSTR(R).svg North Shore Line platform removed 1970 File:BSicon exPLTr.svg File:BSicon uhPSTR(L).svg File:BSicon uhPSTR(R).svg File:BSicon RP2q.svg File:BSicon uPSTR(L).svg File:BSicon uhSKRZ-G2(Rr).svg File:BSicon uPSTR(R).svg File:BSicon hSKRZ-G2(Ll).svg File:BSicon RP2q.svg Foster St. File:BSicon uSTRf.svg File:BSicon POINTERg@fq.svg File:BSicon lDSTR.svg File:BSicon uSTRg.svg File:BSicon lDSTR.svg Purple to Howard or the Loop File:BSicon MFADEf.svg File:BSicon uDSTR(r).svg File:BSicon MFADEf.svg File:BSicon uDSTR(l).svg
Location

Foster is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, on the Purple Line in Evanston, Illinois. It is located at 900 Foster Street (directional coordinates 2000 north, 900 west), just a few blocks west of Northwestern University's Evanston campus.

History

Structure

Like the rest of the 'L' tracks north of the Wilson station, Foster is elevated on a solid fill embankment, unlike the steel structure commonly associated with the 'L'. It lacks a formal station house; two staircases on the south side of Foster Street lead up to a small area containing a customer assistant's booth, a farecard vending machine, and two turnstiles. The island platform is composed of concrete and stretches north from the station entrance, covered by a canopy its entire length. Southbound trains stop on the west side of the platform, while northbound trains stop at the east part. The platform can only accommodate six-car trains because the north tip of the platform has been removed, although its framing and canopy are still in place.

Former service

Foster was served by trains of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad on the Shore Line Route. Like Noyes and Central, Foster had an additional side platform to the west of the southbound track for exclusive use of the North Shore Line, to prevent disembarking customers from transferring to 'L' trains for free. The platform was removed sometime after the North Shore Line ceased operations over this section of the rapid transit system in 1955, but its concrete footings can still be seen opposite the current platform north of Foster Street.

Modernization

Further information: Red and Purple Modernization Project

Closure of the Foster station (along with South Boulevard) was proposed in three of the CTA's six potential options for the renovation of the Purple Line and northern section of the Red Line.

External links

• Foster Station Page at Chicago-L.Org
• Train schedule (PDF) at CTA official site
• Foster Station Page CTA official site
• Foster Street entrance from Google Maps Street View