Westchester branch

Westchester branch
Overview
Status	Defunct
Locale	Forest Park, Illinois Maywood, Illinois Bellwood, Illinois Westchester, Illinois
Termini	Des Plaines Mannheim & 22nd
Stations	9
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago "L"
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority (1947–1951) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1926–1947)
History
Opened	October 1, 1926
Closed	December 9, 1951
Technical
Line length	5.6 mi (9.0 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Westchester branch highlighted in gray Show interactive map Legend Garfield Park branch to Loop Des Plaines River Forest Park Maywood 1st Ave. 5th Ave. 5th Avenue 9th Ave. 11th Avenue 11th Ave. 17th Avenue 17th Ave. Maywood Bellwood 25th Avenue 25th Ave. Indiana Harbor Belt Addison Creek Bellwood Junction Bellwood Ave. Bellwood Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad Harrison Harrison St. Bellwood Westchester Illinois Central Railroad Freeport Subdivision Roosevelt Canterbury Canterbury St. Mannheim/22nd This diagram: view talk edit Show BSicon diagram map

The Westchester branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago "L" system from 1926 to 1951. The branch served the suburbs of Forest Park, Maywood, Bellwood, and Westchester, and consisted of nine stations.^[1] It opened on October 1, 1926, and closed on December 9, 1951.^[2]

The Westchester branch was 5.6 mi (9.0 km) long, and originated from the Garfield Park Branch at the Des Plaines station in Forest Park, Illinois. Initially the line terminated at Roosevelt Road near Bellwood Avenue.^[3] On December 1, 1930, service was extended to Mannheim/22nd. Service on the Westchester branch ended on December 9, 1951,^[2] and was replaced by the Westchester bus route (now Pace Route 317), which largely mirrored the route of the Westchester branch, though the bus route only extended as far south as Canterbury Street.^[4]