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The BNSF Line is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its western suburbs, running from Chicago Union Station to Aurora, Illinois through the Chicago Subdivision. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership (average 64,600) of the 11 Metra lines. While Metra does not refer to its lines by particular colors, the BNSF line's color on Metra timetables is "Cascade Green," in honor of the Burlington Northern Railroad.
As of September 8, 2025, the public timetable shows 97 trains (47 inbound, 50 outbound) on the BNSF Line on weekdays. Of these, 32 inbound trains originate from Aurora, two from Lisle station, one from Downers Grove Main Street, 10 from Fairview Avenue, and two from Brookfield. Five outbound trains terminate at Brookfield, seven at Fairview Avenue, three at Naperville, and the rest at Aurora. Weekend and holiday service consists of 40 trains (20 in each direction), with all trains traveling between Union Station and Aurora.
The line is operated by BNSF under a "purchase of service agreement" with Metra, inherited from Burlington Northern. While Metra owns all rolling stock, the management and crews are BNSF employees. BNSF is the owner of the right-of-way, controls the line and handles dispatching from corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Metra imposes a 70 mph maximum allowed speed for passenger trains. The BNSF Line is the only remaining Metra commuter line that operates via a purchase-of-service agreement since the Union Pacific Railroad transferred the operations and supplying of commuter trains to Metra for the routes originating from the Ogilvie Transportation Center in 2025.
When the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) began subsidizing Chicago's commuter rail operations in 1974, Burlington Northern continued to operate its line under contract to the RTA. This arrangement continued when the RTA organized its commuter rail lines under the RTA Commuter Rail Division in 1983, later rebranded as Metra in 1985.
Today, the triple-track line is one of the busiest rail corridors in the United States. In addition to the 91 Metra trains that currently use the line, BNSF freight trains frequent the line at all hours. Amtrak's Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, and Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg use the line as well, making an intermediate stop at . The Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg services also stop at . Railfan have coined the line as the "BNSF Racetrack".
The station at South Austin Boulevard and West 29th Street in Cicero was closed on April 1, 2007 due to low ridership and its dilapidation. In the months before its closure, it was used by about 50 passengers a day.
| Cook | 1 | Chicago | Amtrak (long-distance): California Zephyr, , , Empire Builder, , Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle Amtrak (intercity): , Borealis, Hiawatha, , , Lincoln Service, , Metra: , , , , Chicago "L": (at ), (at ) CTA Bus: 1, 7, J14, 19, 28, 56, 60, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 128, 130, 151, 156, 157, 192 Pace Bus: 755 Amtrak Thruway: Chicago–Madison and Chicago–Rockford (Van Galder), Chicago–Louisville (Greyhound Lines) | |
| 2 | CTA Bus: 8, 18, N62 | |||
| Chicago "L": (at ) CTA Bus: 18, 49, X49 | ||||
| Cicero | CTA Bus: 35, 54, 54B, 60 | |||
| Morton Park | Closed between 1938 and 1957 | |||
| Closed April 1, 2007 | ||||
| Berwyn | (rush only) | Pace Bus: 302, 314 | ||
| Pace Bus: 302, 311 | ||||
| Pace Bus: 302, 307 | ||||
| Riverside | ||||
| Brookfield | ||||
| Pace Bus: 331 | ||||
| 3 | (rush only) | Pace Bus: 302, 331 | ||
| La Grange | Amtrak: Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg Pace Bus: 302, 330, 331 | |||
(rush only) | ||||
| Western Springs | ||||
| DuPage | Hinsdale | (rush only) | ||
(rush only) | ||||
| Clarendon Hills | ||||
| Westmont | Pace Bus: 715 | |||
| Downers Grove | ||||
| 4 | Pace Bus: 834 | |||
| Grove Commuter Shuttle: West Route | ||||
| Lisle | ||||
| Naperville | Amtrak: California Zephyr, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Southwest Chief Pace Bus: 530, 714, 722 Burlington Trailways: Chicago–Davenport | |||
| Naperville/ Aurora | Pace Bus: 559 Greyhound Lines: Chicago–Davenport | |||
| Eola | Eola | Closed to passengers prior to 1971, closed entirely later | ||
| Kane | Aurora | |||
| Scraper Works | Closed 1974 | |||
| Aurora | Pace Bus: 524, 530, 533, 540, 802 | |||
| Aurora (CB&Q Depot) | Closed 1986 | |||
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