Dempster–Skokie, formerly known as Dempster, or Skokie, is an 'L' station on the CTA's Yellow Line at 5005 Dempster Street in Skokie, Illinois. It is one of three stops on the Yellow Line, and currently the terminus of line, although an extension of the line to Old Orchard Mall has been considered. It is one of two CTA rail stations in Skokie, and is at grade level. It is also one of two terminals that doesn't have a rail yard assigned to it. All 6 cars assigned to the Yellow Line are stored at the Howard Yard. The Skokie Shops are accessible only via the Yellow Line's tracks, but the shops do not function as a yard, only as a shop for rail cars. This station is one of two CTA rail terminals that does not have an island platform, the other being Cottage Grove on the Green Line. Passengers who want to return to Howard from this station after leaving a train arriving at this station have to always pay an additional fare.
History
The station was originally constructed in 1925 as part of a new high-speed bypass route for the North Shore Line known as the Skokie Valley Route. Trains of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company's Niles Center Route also used this station as a terminal until that service was ended by the CTA in 1948. The North Shore Line ceased operating in early 1963, but the CTA instated a new service the following year which served a 'temporary' station on the same location. This service was, and to some extent still is, known as the Skokie Swift and is currently called the Yellow Line. The current stationhouse has been in place since 1994. The original stationhouse, known as Dempster Street Station, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and stands 130 feet east of its original location, moved at a cost of $1 million in order to make space for the new station and its parking lot. The original station house is currently occupied by a Starbuckscoffee shop and a law office; the Starbucks also has a drive-thru lane. The former station's address is 5001 Dempster Street.
Service
The station houses bus stops for CTA and Pace buses and was once the Greyhound bus Skokie terminal. However, Greyhound discontinued service to Skokie in 2012. On June 8, 2011, the Chicago Transit Board approved the renaming of the Skokie station to Dempster–Skokie. This was done with the announcement of the name for the infill station at Oakton.
Location
Dempster–Skokie is located at 5005 Dempster Street at Dempster Street and Bronx Avenue. It is located in the village of Skokie, Illinois, which borders Chicago at its southwest corner and Evanston to its east. Dempster–Skokie is one of the two 'L' stations to serve the village of Skokie; the other one is.
