History of passenger rail in Chicago
During the heyday of rail transportation in the first half of the 20th century, Chicago, Illinois reigned as the undisputed railroad center of the United States and was served by six intercity train terminals. With the decline of rail passenger service many of these facilities disappeared; today only Union Station remains in use in a substantially original form, and is the only one served by Amtrak trains. The Chicago and North Western Passenger Terminal has been replaced with a newer station and renamed Ogilvie Transportation Center, and LaSalle Street Station has also been replaced with a newer facility. Millennium Station is on the site of the pre-1893 Illinois Central Railroad Great Central Station, used since then only for commuter trains. All four stations are used by Metra commuter service.
The table below shows all lines that have served downtown Chicago and what terminal they used. A red background indicates that the railroad owned a part or full share of the terminal.
| railroad | Great Central Station Central Station | Dearborn | LaSalle Street | Grand Central | Union Station | Wells Street North Western | others |
| Illinois Central Railroad | 1856–1972 | 1972–present | Millennium Station 1893–present | ||||
| Chicago, Madison and Northern Railroad | ?-1971 | 1974–1981 | |||||
| Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad | 1907–1910 1925–1933 | 1910–1925 | 1974–1977 | Hammond ? | |||
| Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway | ?-1972 | 1972–1973 | |||||
| Michigan Central Railroad | ?-1957 | 1957–1968 | 1968–present | ||||
| Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad | Millennium Station 1912–present | ||||||
| Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad | 1885?–1964 | ||||||
| Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad | 1885–? | 1974–1975 | |||||
| The Monon | 1885–? | 1975–1979 1980–present | |||||
| Chicago and Erie Railroad | 1885–1970 | ||||||
| Grand Trunk Western Railroad | 1885–1971 | ||||||
| Wabash Railroad | 1885–1976 | 1976–present | |||||
| Wabash Railroad | ? | ||||||
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway | ?-1971 | 1971–1996 | |||||
| Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway | 1852–1900 1903–1968 | 1900–1903 | 1968–present | ||||
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad | 1852–1900 1903–present | 1900–1903 | |||||
| New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad | 1882–1892 | ? | Nickel Plate 1892–? | ||||
| Baltimore and Ohio Railroad | ?-1892/1893? | 1892/1893?-1969 | 1977–1981 1982–1986 1990–1995 1996–2005 | 1969–1971 | |||
| Chicago Great Western Railway | 1890–1956 | ||||||
| Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway | 1899–1912 1965 | 1890–1899 1912–1965 | 1996–present | ||||
| Pere Marquette Railway | ?-1903 | 1903–1969 | 1984–present | 1969–1971 | |||
| Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad | 1856–? | 1881–present | |||||
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | 1881–present | ||||||
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad | 1881–present | ||||||
| Chicago and Evanston Railroad | 1885–1908 | ||||||
| Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad | 1881–1971 1972–1974 | ||||||
| Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway | 1881–1990 | ||||||
| Alton Railroad | ?-1881 | 1858–? | 1881–present | ||||
| Galena and Chicago Union Railroad | 1881–present | G&CU Depot 1848–1856 | |||||
| Chicago and Milwaukee Railway | 1881–present | ||||||
| Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad | 1881–present |
NOTE: The Chicago, Terre Haute and Southeastern Railway, later part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, never had passenger service in the Chicago area.