Terminal dogfight? Greyhound running illegal bus service outside Union Station, Amtrak alleges

Experts predicted chaos could ensue from the expected departure of Greyhound from its West Loop terminal when its lease ends in October without a plan for a new bus stop location.

It seems the fallout has already begun.

Amtrak, the train operator that owns Chicago Union Station, accused Greyhound this week of moving more buses to the curb outside the station than allowed.

There are now triple the number of buses scheduled to stop on Jackson Boulevard outside the station — 12 instead of four, Amtrak said.

Greyhound's owner, Flix North America, did not deny it was operating the buses. Instead, the company said it expected some of those buses to stop using the curb near Union Station by Tuesday, according to its agreement with Amtrak. That agreement allows some Greyhound buses to and from Indiana to connect with certain Amtrak trains, according to the train operator.

"The dynamic nature of bus schedules requires ongoing communication, and we continue to monitor and discuss ticket sales and interlining agreements with Amtrak to ensure we are not adding any schedules independent of our Amtrak connections," a Flix North America spokesperson said in an email. "We remain committed to adhering to our agreements and the requirements set by both [the Chicago Department of Transportation] and Amtrak."

The city's Transportation Department, which approves all bus stop permits, did not answer questions about the additional Greyhound buses.

The squabble marks the latest drama in the countdown to Greyhound's possible departure from its terminal at 630 W. Harrison St. and resorting to curbside service, which transit advocates warned will place an incredible burden on the bus system's low-income users during cold weather months.

Greyhound has threatened that it would not be able to renew its lease at the station, which the company lost in its takeover by Germany-based FlixMobility in 2021. A Greyhound spokesperson on Friday said the Harrision Street lease ends Oct. 20, and that the move-out date "remains in flux."

The city, which has the authority to approve bus stops, has been in talks with Greyhound to figure out where to move the buses. The city had pushed for intercity buses to use the space on Jackson Boulevard near Union Station, but it's unclear if that's still the focus. Amtrak issued a strong letter explaining the traffic issues that could arise from moving several buses outside Union Station.

Transportation advocates want Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration to buy the terminal and create a city-operated intercity bus terminal similar to the city's airports. But the city said it can’t afford to buy the station.

Now it's unclear if the eviction will happen after all.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) — who had arranged a meeting between Amtrak and the city about a new potential bus stop — told the Sun-Times this week that Greyhound may be trying to extend its lease at the bus station.

Greyhound did not comment when asked if it was involved in lease extension talks.

Ramirez-Rosa said he requested the cancellation of the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety meeting set for Monday. He planned to bring a resolution he co-sponsored with committee chairman Ald. Daniel LaSpata (1st) that would force the City Council to address the Greyhound issue. He told the Sun-Times he withheld the resolution to give the people involved more time to find a solution.

Earlier this week, transit advocates sent a public letter to Johnson, blasting his administration for not being more forthcoming about what might happen next.

"It is imperative the City remains transparent and provides space for community members, stakeholders, and alderpeople to get answers about the City’s plans for the terminal and to understand how the City arrived at its decisions," states the letter, signed by 13 groups.

Ald. Bill Conway (34th), whose ward includes Union Station and the Greyhound terminal, told the Sun-Times he has been left out of the conversation.

"The Mayor’s Office has gone out of its way to exclude my office from this process, despite numerous attempts to engage with them and both Greyhound Station and Union Station being located in my ward," he said in an email.

If Greyhound resorts to curbside service here, Chicago would be the largest city in the Northern Hemisphere without an intercity bus terminal, according to a report last month from DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development.