Blue Island (Junction)

Blue Island Junction is one of the most complex and fascinating rail crossings in the Midwest. Eight tracks cross Broadway Street at grade, forming a double diamond interchange where CSX, Indiana Harbor Belt (IHB), Canadian National (ex-Grand Trunk Western), and Iowa Interstate (IAIS) all converge. About 250 yards south of Broadway, the Metra Rock Island District commuter line crosses over the entire junction on elevated tracks, adding a vertical dimension to the action.

The primary viewing area is the public sidewalks along Broadway Street, which run directly through the middle of the junction. From here, you stand at ground level with clear sightlines to approaching trains from multiple directions. The junction is laid out roughly north-south, so southbound trains are generally the most photogenic. Trains rarely exceed moderate speeds through the interlocking, giving ample time to observe locomotive details and consist composition.

The CSX main line enters from the southeast out of nearby Barr Yard, while the IHB double-track main comes from the south out of Blue Island Yard. These two lines share a crossover just south of Broadway, creating a joint IHB/CSX route heading northwest. CN's double-track main enters from the south heading north into Chicago, crossing the joint line just north of Broadway. IAIS enters from the southwest on a single track. All of these tracks then cross the Cal-Sag Channel on five formidable steel truss bridges that are visible from Broadway and have become iconic images in railroad photography.

Blue Island sits in a flat, working-class suburb about 20 miles south-southwest of downtown Chicago. The terrain around the junction is level, with the tracks at grade and the Cal-Sag Channel cutting through just north of Broadway. The five steel truss bridges spanning the channel are the dominant visual feature — heavy, industrial structures that have appeared in countless train magazines and railfan photographs over the decades.

The surrounding neighborhood is residential with brick homes and small commercial buildings typical of Chicago's older south suburbs. The area has a gritty, industrial character that has improved in recent years but still warrants basic caution. At the south end of the junction, the elevated Metra Rock Island tracks on their embankment frame the scene from above. Toward the north, the former interlocking tower stands beyond the bridges across the channel — shut down in June 2013 but still visible as a local landmark. The junction sits on Broadway, which carries steady vehicle traffic alongside the rail crossings, adding to the busy atmosphere.

The junction hosts traffic from at least six railroads. The joint IHB/CSX line (technically owned by CSX subsidiary B&OCT but dispatched by IHB) sees the most action, carrying a mix of road trains, yard transfers, and interchange moves between Barr Yard, Blue Island Yard, and points northwest toward Franklin Park. BNSF and CP trains regularly use this joint line via trackage rights — BNSF heading to/from connections and CP accessing Bensenville Yard.

The CSX main line (Blue Island Subdivision, CTC controlled by CSX 'RB' Dispatcher in Calumet City) carries heavy freight in both directions between Barr Yard and Chicago. Since June 2013, CSX also dispatches the former CN/GTW tracks between Chicago and Munster, Indiana, adding CSX movements on what was once exclusively CN territory.

CN traffic has diminished significantly since CN acquired the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern in 2009, rerouting many trains onto the former EJ&E. Only two to four CN trains per day now pass through Blue Island. Iowa Interstate moves freight — sometimes impressively long consists of ethanol and grain — and uses the Metra Rock Island tracks via trackage rights for part of its routing. Belt Railway of Chicago and Chicago Rail Link also make occasional appearances.

Metra Rock Island District operates approximately 80 weekday trains on the full district, with 16 round trips terminating at Blue Island/Vermont Street. Weekend service runs every two hours.

The junction is oriented north-south, which can make lighting tricky at certain times. Southbound trains generally photograph best, especially with the five Cal-Sag Channel bridges as a backdrop. From the Broadway sidewalks, you can capture trains at the grade crossing from multiple angles without moving far.

The Western Avenue overpass, a short walk from the junction, provides an elevated perspective looking down at the tracks and can frame trains with the bridges in the background. At the south end of the plant, the elevated Metra Rock Island tracks about 250 yards from Broadway create opportunities to photograph a freight train at grade level with a commuter train passing overhead — a dramatic layered composition.

A telephoto lens (200mm+) is useful for compressing the bridges and capturing approaching trains from a distance. The best overall lighting is on southbound trains in the morning to midday, when the sun illuminates locomotive faces without harsh shadows. Afternoon light works well for the bridge structures. Be mindful that this is an active street crossing — stay on the sidewalks and watch for traffic from all directions, both rail and road.

Blue Island's railroad history dates to the very beginning of railroading in Illinois. The Chicago and Rock Island Railroad completed its line through Blue Island to Joliet in October 1852, making it among the first railroads built west from Chicago. The first train ran on October 10, 1852, with Blue Island as one of the earliest stops, just 15 miles from Chicago. The railroad quickly transformed Blue Island from a stop along the old Vincennes Trail into a hub of commerce and industry.

The junction grew as additional railroads threaded their lines through the area. The Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal (now CSX) and Indiana Harbor Belt stitched their networks into what became a shared corridor. Blue Island played a role in the 1894 Pullman Strike, a watershed moment in American labor history — on June 30, 1894, local resident James Murwin threw a switch on locomotive No. 19, shutting down Rock Island service for three days.

By the 20th century, Blue Island had become synonymous with railroading and heavy industry, with clay from an ancient glacial bed making it the 'brick-making capital of the world.' The interlocking tower that once controlled the crossing was shut down in June 2013 when operations shifted to remote CSX dispatchers, but the structure remains visible across the Cal-Sag Channel as a local landmark.

What makes Blue Island exceptional among Midwestern rail junctions is the combination of multi-railroad diversity, the iconic Cal-Sag Channel bridges, and the vertical element of the Metra Rock Island overpass. Few locations allow you to watch trains from six or more different railroads without changing position.

Blue Island and nearby Dolton Junction (five miles east) form a matched pair of mega-junctions. Dolton is the eastern gateway to CSX's Barr Yard and IHB's Blue Island Yard, while Blue Island is the western gateway. Together, they offer a full day of railfanning with enormous variety. The junction is also notable for its public transit accessibility — you can reach it by Metra commuter train from downtown Chicago, a rarity among major railroad photography destinations.