Batavia Branch

• Opened: September, 1902
• Abandoned: July 3, 1957
• Length of Route: 5.9 miles
• Total Number of Stations: 8
• Number of Tracks: 1
• Power source: Third rail

General Overview

The Batavia Branch was a small single track line that split off from a point on the Aurora Branch known originally as Eola Junction but which later came to be known as Batavia Junction (referencing the connection to branch rather than the small community that the junction was near). From the junction, the branch ran roughly northwest through rural prairie to the city of Batavia, located along the Fox River.

Constructed by the Batavia & Eastern Railway (a subsidiary of the Aurora & Elgin that was eventually merged into the larger whole in March of 1902), the Batavia Branch was built to the same high standards that made the Great Third Rail revolutionary when it opened. Service on the branch began in late September of 1902, however its solid construction and fast trips did little to attract riders to it. Most service on the line was handled by a single car shuttle operating between the Batavia Terminal and the Batavia Junction station where passengers could connect with trains operating on the Aurora Branch.

Unlike the Geneva Branch which was shut down during the Depression due to low ridership, the Batavia Branch managed to survive all the way until the Aurora & Elgin's last day of passenger service.

Full branch profile and history coming soon.