While the initial portion of the Northwestern Elevated (Loop–Wilson) opened in 1900,[1] the terminal opened on November 17, 1908, to accommodate excess traffic in the downtown area.

[2] A walkway was provided to connect the terminal station to the nearby Merchandise Mart station.

[3] There was once a proposal in 1916 to extend the stub from the terminal to State/Lake station via Carroll Avenue and State Street;[4] however, this extension never materialized.

The station ceased passenger services by August 1, 1949, as part of a systemwide service revision along both the North Side main line and the South Side Elevated.

[5] However, while passenger service ceased, trains still served the terminal in special occasions like maintenance and emergencies.