Linden - CTA Purple Line

Linden is the terminus of the Purple Line. Trains reached this terminus in 1912 with today's modern terminal station built in the 1990s as part of a project that also rebuilt the adjacent Linden Yard. The station is located at street level and a short ways south of the station (at the southern end of the yard) is the Maple Avenue Grade Crossing followed by the Isabella Avenue grade crossing before trains rise up onto the embankment elevated that keeps them grade-separated all the way to Howard and the Loop as the Purple Line Express during rush hours. The station itself has a single island platform for the two terminating track. Trains reverse normally before entering the station platform although the west track loops around into the yard. The east track ends in a bumper block. The entire platform and track area is fully enclosed with a roof that includes some skylights and no supports directly down onto the platform. The west track has a wall along it, the yards building while the east track has some windows allowing additional natural light. At the northern end of the platform a ramp leads down past the bumper block of east track. This leads to the turnstiles and a decent sized station building along the south side of Linden Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. The building has a glass walls that lead out to the street at a couple of entrances and flows to become the landscaped brick wall that covers the yard. A portion of it has a porch that extends over the sidewalk forming an awning to the one bus stop simply on the street. Just east of the entrance is the station's 328 Park & Ride lot operated by the village of Wilmette where the station is located.
All photos taken on 3 July, 2013