Vermont Street is a station on Metra's Rock Island District in Blue Island, Illinois, 16.4mi from LaSalle Street, the northern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Vermont Street is in zone D. Blue Island Station on the north side of Vermont Street is the western terminus of the Blue Island branch of the Metra Electric line. Vermont Street Station and Blue Island Station share the same parking facilities and the same bus connections. Although these two stations are across the street from each other and trains do not use the same platform areas, the proximity of the two to each other functionally allows riders to transfer from one to the other with only a very short walk (less than an eighth of a mile) between them.Vermont Street is one of the busiest stations on the Rock Island District. It is the centerpiece of the entire line, historically and presently. Many trains on the Rock Island District terminate at Vermont Street, most of them locals on the Suburban Line and most rush hour trains stop at this station, running express to and from this station.Vermont Street is a favorite of railfans due to its unique four-track setup, frequent train action, and switching movements. Later on in the day, Iowa Interstate Railroad runs a daily freight train along the Rock Island tracks, from Blue Island to Council Bluffs, Iowa. For this reason, this daily freight train is officially named the BICB. Blue Island's police and fire departments are located several blocks away from Vermont Street.
