Columbian Intramural Railway

Columbian Intramural Railway
Intramural Railway train
Overview
StatusDemolished
LocaleChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Termini
  • North Loop
  • South Loop
Stations10
Service
OperatorColumbian Interurban Railway Company
Ridership~6,000,000
History
Work beganAugust 3, 1892 (1892-08-03)
OpenedMay 1, 1893 (1893-05-01)
CompletedApril 1893 (1893-04)
ClosedOctober 31, 1893 (1893-10-31)
Technical
Line length3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Track length6.0 mi (9.7 km)
Number of tracks2
CharacterElevated
ElectrificationThird rail
Operating speed30 mph (48 km/h)
Route map
 Mount Vernon
57th St.
Midway
North Loop
62nd St.
Chicago & South
Side Rapid Transit
Jackson Park
Chicago Junction
Terminal Station
Administration
Illinois Central
South Loop
Colonnade
Forestry

The Columbian Intramural Railway was an electrified elevated rail line located in Jackson Park in Chicago, Illinois. The Intramural was the first rail line in the United States to utilize third rail electrification, having been operational from May 1, 1893, to October 31, 1893, for the World's Columbian Exposition. The success of the line resulted in the adoption of third rail throughout the Chicago "L" by 1898.

History

In anticipation for the World's Columbian Exposition, the Intramural Railway was planned to be a temporary and experimental electric rail line, with much of the funding coming from wealthy donors. At the time, the effectiveness of electric traction was not fully understood.[1]

The Western Dummy Railroad Company was contracted to build the Intramural. However, General Electric instead carried out the line's construction alongside the installation of electrical system that would power Intramural trains. Construction began on August 3, 1892; test cars ran in April 1893.[2] The project cost was $700,000 (equivalent to $25,000,000 in 2025).[3]

The Intramural opened as part of the exposition from May 1 to October 31, 1893; the line was demolished shortly after the exposition's closure. Throughout the line's operational period, about six million people have taken the Intramural.[4][5]

Legacy

The success of the Intramural directly resulted in the adoption of third rail electrification by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad in the planning process, having originally planned to use steam locomotives. By 1898, the other "L" companies at the time, the South Side Elevated Railroad and the Lake Street Elevated Railroad, converted its existing steam operation to third rail operation.[1][6]

Characteristics

The 3.2-mile-long (5.1 km)[a][b] rail line comprised ten stations and track loops on both ends. Except for I-beam girders and rails, both of which were made of steel, wood was the primary material used to construct the rail line. Third rail was chosen as the method of electrification, making the Intramural the first to use such electric traction method in the United States.[1] Intramural trains could travel up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h); accounting for multiple stops, a round trip could last 21 minutes.[2][3] The fare for the line was 10 cents (equivalent to $3.58 in 2025).[3]

Station listing

Station Connections and notes
North Loop
Mount Vernon
57th Street
Midway
62nd Street
Chicago Junction Chicago "L": South Side Elevated Railroad (Jackson Park branch)
Administration
Colonnade
Forestry
South Loop

Notes

  1. ↑ 14,800 feet (2.80 mi) of double track and 1,900 feet (0.36 mi) of single track[1][2]
  2. ↑ For the total length of the track (double counting the length of the double track), approximately 6 miles (9.7 km).[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Arnold, Bion J. (8 October 1904). "The Columbian Intramural Railway". The Street Railway Journal. Street Railway Publishing Company. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Intramural Elevated Electric Railway at the World's Fair". Electrical Review. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 9 September 1893. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Opening of the Columbian Intramural Railway, Chicago". The Electrical Age. 9. 22 April 1893. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Columbian Intramural Railway". Chicagology. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  5. ↑ Borzo, Greg (2007). The Chicago "L". Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 20–22. ISBN 978-0-7385-5100-5.
  6. ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Traction Power". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
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