SouthWest Service

SouthWest Service
SouthWest Service train at Manhattan (March 2025).
Overview
OwnerNorfolk Southern Railway (Leased to Metra)
Termini
Stations13
Websitemetra.com/train-lines/sws
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemMetra
Operator(s)Metra, Norfolk Southern Railway
Daily ridership9,600 (Avg. Weekday 2014)
Ridership1,114,000 (2025)
Technical
Track length40.6 miles
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
SouthWest Service highlighted in blue
0
Chicago Union Station
Dearborn Station
14th Street yard
Chicago River (south branch)
Orange to the Loop
47th Street
Englewood
Halsted
Racine
Belt Junction
Ashland
Western Avenue
Landers Yard
11.5 mi
18.5 km
Wrightwood
12.2 mi
19.6 km
Ashburn
14.7 mi
23.7 km
Oak Lawn Patriot
16.6 mi
26.7 km
Chicago Ridge
17.8 mi
28.6 km
Worth
18.6 mi
29.9 km
Palos Heights
19.8 mi
31.9 km
Palos Park
Southmore
23 mi
37 km
143rd Street/​Orland Park
25.2 mi
40.6 km
153rd Street/​Orland Park
28.7 mi
46.2 km
179th Street/​Orland Park
Orland Park coach yard
Steele
35.4 mi
57 km
Laraway Road/​New Lenox
40.3 mi
64.9 km
Manhattan
Manhattan coach yard
Wauponsee Glacial Trail

Mileage
source
All stations are accessible
Key
SouthWest Service
Former/planned alignments
Other Metra lines
Other freight lines
CTA lines

The SouthWest Service (SWS) is a Metra commuter rail line, running southwest from Union Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois, to Manhattan, Illinois. Metra does not refer to its lines by color, but the timetable accents for the SouthWest Service line are "Banner Blue," for the Wabash Railroad's Banner Blue passenger train. The trackage is owned by Metra north of a junction with the Belt Railway of Chicago at Loomis Boulevard, and is leased from Norfolk Southern Railway south of the junction (NS has trackage rights over Metra's portion).