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Through the night from Chicago to Cleveland – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 35
In ‘Through the night from Chicago to Cleveland’ I start my journey on the Lakeshore Limited.
Please click on a thumbnail to see the photographs that go with this podcast:
The Lakeshore Limited:
In 1975 the Lake Shore Limited starts running. It is an overnight service between Chicago and Albany where it splits into sections for New York or Boston. In 2023 over 351,000 passengers use the service. It is nearly back to its pre-Covid level.
I’m travelling on the New York section, train 48 (eastbound), for the 959 miles between Chicago and New York.
From Chicago to Cleveland, the train uses the Chicago Line, which belongs to the Norfolk Southern Railway. This section is also used by the Floridian.
Leaving Chicago Union station:
Our schedule has us leaving Chicago Union station at 9.30 pm but there is delay. One of the carriages in the Boston section has a fault and must be removed from the train. We expect a long delay but pull out only just over an hour late.
Indiana:
Our first stop is at South Bend, we are around 84 miles into the journey. The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad build the station in 1970 and until 1992 South Shore Line trains continue to use the station.
We soon reach Elkhart station. It is only open in early mornings and late evenings for the eastbound and westbound trains. Although there is no one to sell tickets, there are staff to help passengers.
The station dates from 1900. In 2023 over 16,000 passengers use the station.
Next we reach Waterloo, no, not the one in London. The station opens in 1990. It opens for short periods before the trains arrive. In 1995 the Lake Shore Limited starts stopping at Waterloo in 1995 and in 2023 0ver 17,000 Amtrak passengers use the station.
Ohio:
We cross the State line from Indiana to Ohio and reach the station in Bryan. It is unmanned and 8 miles south of the Ohio Turnpike. In 2023 4,353 passengers come out in the middle of the night to use the station.
Next we reach Toledo, a major Mid-West port city. It’s the fourth-most populous city in Ohio, and based on the 2020 census, the 79th-largest city in the United States with a population of 270,871.
Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, formerly called Central Union Terminal and Central Union Plaza, is the main passenger rail and intercity bus station.
280 miles into our journey we reach Sandusky station, an uncovered platform, a small car park, and two buildings. In 2023 just over 8,300 passengers got up early to use the station.
Another 35 miles and we stop at the small bus stop-type shelter in Elyria which hosts 8,819 passengers in 2023.
Cleveland is on the southern shore of Lake Erie, on the U.S. maritime border with Canada. With a population of 372,624 in 2020 it is the 54th-largest city in the U.S.
Lakefront Station is in downtown Cleveland near the Lake Erie waterfront. It is a service stop for the Lake Shore Limited.
Listen to the podcast to hear about my journey from Chicago to Cleveland.
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Music:
AKM Music licenses Steam Railway and Stars Smile at You for use in this podcast.
