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84-557: Chicago's Blue Line and Red Line offer 24-hour service, every day, year-round. This makes Chicago, New York City, and Copenhagen the only three cities in the world to offer local nonstop rail service throughout their city limits 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Blue Line is one of two lines in Chicago with more than one station having the same name, with the Green Line being the other. (The Blue Line has two stations at Harlem Avenue: one in

168-554: A 13.3-mile (21.4 km) extension of the Blue Line, from its current western terminus at Forest Park to Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois . Several feeder bus services would also be implemented in this plan. The prospect of this extension was also listed in the Chicago region's 2030 master plan. In 2013, the idea of an infill station at Nagle and Bryn Mawr Avenues was postponed. Such a station remains only idea but may come to fruition in

252-533: A day throughout their city limits. The CTA is planning an extension of the Red Line, adding 5.6 miles (9.0 km) and four new stations which would extend the line from 95th Street to 130th Street, making the Red Line approximately 31 miles in length with 37 stations. In December 2022, the Chicago City Council approved the creation of a district that will send approximately $ 1 billion in tax revenue for

336-519: A more efficient system by combining the more heavily used rail lines together and combining the other lines together, providing increased service capacity for the routes that need it. The Red Line was created in 1993, when the CTA adopted color-coded system for all of its "L" routes. In February 1993, a new connection opened from the State Street subway south of Roosevelt to Cermak–Chinatown. The Howard branch

420-568: A perception that the CTA was uninterested in serving the West Side. On September 10, 2001, the CTA began a historic reconstruction of the Douglas Branch to repair its aging stations and tracks. The work was officially completed on January 8, 2005, with new elevated structures, tracks, rebuilt stations, new communication networks and an upgraded power system along the route. On January 1, 2005, weekend service

504-625: A plan in the form of another subway corridor in the Downtown area was proposed, which was to be routed from UIC-Halsted Station through the north portals, then north under Des Plaines Street to Monroe Street and east under Monroe Street to Grant Park and Millennium Park , where it was to split into two branches: one north to Walton Street serving the North Michigan Avenue area and the other southeast to McCormick Place utilizing Metra Electric right-of-way. Though these portals are still not used,

588-466: A redesign of a diamond junction north of Belmont Station into a flyover for Brown Line trains. This project will decrease train backups and increase the number of trains that can cross the junction per hour. The project was criticized by 2015 mayoral candidate Chuy García and local residents in the Lakeview neighborhood who organized a referendum to stop it. The Federal Transit Administration passed

672-435: A result of budget cuts that also eliminated owl service on several other lines. Congress (Forest Park) service was effectively doubled through much of the day since service frequency from O'Hare required shorter headways than what would have been left. While the CTA claimed Douglas branch reductions were due to low ridership, community activists also pointed to badly deteriorated infrastructure and funding shortfalls, as well as

756-455: A series of 'L' lines servicing the West Side of Chicago beginning in 1895. The first section to be built by the Metropolitan extended west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street from an independent terminal at Canal and Jackson Streets to Marshfield Avenue, and then northward in the vicinity of Paulina Street to Damen and Milwaukee Avenues. Service on this section began on May 6, 1895. The structure

840-591: A series of massive service cuts and station closings (that would last until the 1980s). The Metropolitan lines began to be reshaped into the current Blue Line on February 25, 1951, when the CTA opened the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, connecting the Logan Square Branch with the Loop on a fast, efficient and more direct routing to downtown, rather than the previous circuitous route that saw these trains entering

924-730: A stacked junction), built in the 1940s along with the subway, was intended for a never-built connection to, or subway replacement of the Lake Street Elevated. In the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, they were also proposed to be a service link between the Dearborn Subway and a high-speed subway route in Randolph Street to replace a portion of the Lake Street 'L' east of Damen Avenue ( Transit Planning Study Chicago Central Area , April 1968). Red Line (CTA) The Red Line

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1008-511: A station and track rehabilitation program dubbed "Red Ahead", beginning on the North Side Main Line, which is called the "Red North" project. The program monitors the full route of the Red Line, excluding the Loyola, Bryn Mawr, Sheridan, or Wilson station. This also does not include stations between Wilson through Fullerton, nor the State Street subway. In May 2012, the CTA started to work on

1092-586: A sweeping reverse curve to the east to Sheridan Road, adjacent to Loyola University Chicago and continues southerly parallel to Broadway to the east (in Edgewater ), and follows Broadway to Leland Avenue. From here, the route transitions from concrete embankment to steel elevated structure. The "L" continues southward running adjacent the Graceland Cemetery, Irving Park Road and Sheffield Avenue from Uptown to Lincoln Park . The Brown Line ( Ravenswood ), joins

1176-674: Is a rapid transit line in Chicago , run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the busiest line on the "L" system, with an average of 108,303 passengers boarding each weekday in 2023 The route is 26 miles (42 km) long with a total of 33 stations. It runs elevated from the Howard station in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side, through

1260-576: Is a junction, with one pair of tracks curving to the east and leaving the subway at 13th Street and connecting to the old South Side "L" at 18th and State Streets. This section was used from October 1943 until February 1993, when trains from Howard were routed to the Englewood and Jackson Park branches, today known as the south branches of the Green Line. The 13th Street portal is now used for non-service train moves and emergency purposes. The 13th Street portal

1344-508: Is an 'L' station on the CTA 's Blue Line . The station is located at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago , Illinois . From the Chicago Avenue station, trains run at intervals of 2–7 minutes during rush hour , and take 4 minutes to travel to the Loop. CTA This article relating to the Chicago Transit Authority is

1428-491: Is one of five "L" lines that run into Chicago suburbs, with the others being the Green, Purple , Pink, and Yellow lines. The Blue Line runs in three suburbs: Rosemont, Oak Park, and Forest Park. The O'Hare branch is the longest section of the Blue Line (14.6 miles (23.5 km)) and comprises both the oldest and newest segments of the entire route. The line starts at O'Hare International Airport in an underground station below

1512-705: Is two blocks south of Union Station ). The tracks then emerge from a portal near UIC-Halsted in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) and continue west. After exiting the subway, the tracks continue west in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway as the Forest Park branch , formerly called the Congress branch , successor to the Garfield Park Branch. Immediately west of Racine ,

1596-536: The Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University ( Jackson ) and Loyola University Chicago ( Loyola ), as well as the Magnificent Mile ( Grand ) and Chinatown ( Cermak-Chinatown ). In May 2013, the branch, along with all nine stations, closed for five months to allow the replacement of the tracks and for construction crews to improve the stations on the branch. The newly reconstructed Dan Ryan branch and

1680-603: The Central Business District and handle the heavy volumes of passenger traffic using it. The Howard branch was paired with the Englewood and Jackson Park branches through the State Street subway, using the 13th Street portal and the other lines routed to the Loop "L". The Dan Ryan Branch opened in September 1969, and was paired with the Lake Street branch to form the West-South route , almost universally referred to as

1764-515: The Chicago River , and makes a stop at Clark/Lake , where in-system transfers are provided to 'L' trains on the Loop. East of Clark/Lake, the tracks swing south under Dearborn Street, with a continuous platform similar to the continuous platform used in the adjacent State Street subway , with stops at Washington , Monroe , and Jackson . South of Jackson, the line turns west under Ida B. Wells Drive (with stops at LaSalle and Clinton , which

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1848-625: The Chicago White Sox , is served by the Sox–35th station . The North Side Main Line of the Red Line travels from Howard station to Armitage station. After running through Armitage, the Red Line descends to a portal at Willow Street and enters the subway, turning southeast on Clybourn Avenue, east at Division Street, and south at State Street through the Loop to Roosevelt Road . South of Roosevelt Road, there

1932-682: The Hollywood Freeway in 1952, but the Pacific Electric service was an interurban streetcar rather than true rapid transit.) The new line connected with the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway at the Chicago River and extended westward to Des Plaines Avenue in Forest Park. Loomis Ramp, built at this same time, permitted Douglas trains to be rerouted through the subway as well combining the Logan Square, Garfield Park (now Congress) and Douglas routes into

2016-964: The Humboldt Park Branch , splitting off from the Logan Square Branch at Damen and running west alongside North Avenue to a terminal at Lawndale Avenue. This was followed by still another addition when the Douglas Park Branch was placed in operation as far south as 18th Street on April 28, 1896. As the southwest area of the city developed, the Douglas Park Branch was extended from 18th Street to Western Avenue in September 1896; to Pulaski Road in June 1902; to Cicero Avenue in December 1907; to Central Avenue in August 1912; to 62nd Avenue in August 1915, and to Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn on March 16, 1924. The Douglas Park branch

2100-677: The Orange Line as an interim replacement for its 2400-series cars. Beginning in October 2014, CTA started transferring some of the Red Line's 2600-series cars to the Orange Line, replacing the Orange Line's remaining 2400-series cars until the Red Line was fully equipped with the 5000-series cars. Like the Blue Line , the Red Line runs 24 hours a day. On weekdays, service runs very frequently at 30 tph (trains per hour) during rush hour, and 8 tph during

2184-487: The 20th century, the Howard–Englewood/Jackson Park route was equally compatible in terms of passenger service until the late 1960s through the 1970s. However, passenger traffic volumes began to shift on the south side lines, with more riders using the newer Dan Ryan line (which runs four miles (6 km) further south) and fewer riders on the older "L" lines. This level of ridership allowed the CTA to develop

2268-489: The 2400-series cars. From October 2013 until April 2014, several of the Red Line's 2600-series cars were transferred over to the Purple Line as they were displaced on the Red Line by the 5000-series cars. Beginning in June 2014, CTA began to transfer the 2600-series cars from the Red Line over to the Blue Line due to them being newer than the existing Blue Line cars. The Blue Line's older 2600-series cars were transferred to

2352-602: The Blue Line borrows from the Pink Line for weekday rush hour service. The Forest Park branch remains in the median of the expressway through the west side of Chicago until it reaches a portal at Lotus Avenue. At this point the tracks pass beneath the eastbound expressway lanes and before emerging on the south side of the expressway next to the CSX Transportation ( Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad ) tracks. The route passes through Oak Park and into Forest Park . In

2436-505: The Blue Line in between the Logan Square and Belmont stations. In the future this will mean that the CTA will be the largest rapid transit system with 4G coverage in subway tunnels and stations, this is targeted for the end of 2015. The Cermak branch , formerly known as the Douglas branch, was once operated as part of the Blue Line. On April 28, 2008, the CTA eliminated Blue Line service on

2520-543: The Blue Line on September 17, 2018. In addition to the mix of the 2600-series and 3200-series cars, two 5000-series trainsets assigned to the Pink Line make trips on the Blue Line during weekday rush hours, although these cars remain officially assigned to the Pink Line and are operated by Pink Line operators. The Blue Line is the successor to the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad , which built

2604-461: The Blue Line ranges between 3–4 tph. The Blue Line is operated with the 2600-series , 3200-series , and 7000-series railcars. In 2018, some of the 2600-series cars from the Blue Line fleet were replaced with the recently rehabbed 3200-series cars from the Brown and Orange Lines , with some of the 2600-series cars being reassigned to the Orange Line to replace them. These cars entered service on

Blue Line (CTA) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-511: The Blue Line was referred to as the West-Northwest Route, or more commonly, the O'Hare-Congress-Douglas route for its three branches. The Congress and Douglas branches were renamed for their terminals, Forest Park and 54th/Cermak , when the current color naming system was adopted in 1993. Blue Line service on the Douglas segment was replaced in April 2008 by the Pink Line . The Blue Line

2772-724: The Blue Line). The Red Line follows the Dan Ryan the rest of the way to the 95th Street terminal in Roseland . The 98th Yard lies just south and east of the Dan Ryan– Bishop Ford Freeway interchange. Beyond the interchange, the Dan Ryan Expressway and Bishop Ford Freeway both continue towards the south city limits without a transit line in the median strips, but were built with wide grass medians in which future extensions of

2856-503: The CTA's environmental review on the flyover in January 2016 and received a $ 1.1 billion federal grant the following year. 16 properties affected by the flyover were demolished. Construction began on October 2, 2019, and the flyover entered service on November 19, 2021. Since 2006 , proposals have been underway to extend the Red Line south from 95th Street. The CTA developed nine different proposed routes, one of which includes routing

2940-517: The Cermak branch, having been replaced by the Pink Line . The Loomis ramp that connects the Congress branch to the Cermak branch remains intact for non-revenue equipment moves as the only track connection between the Blue Line and the rest of the system. On April 26, 1998, the Douglas Branch lost its overnight (owl) and weekend service and began operating between 4 a.m. and 1 a.m. on weekdays only as

3024-631: The Douglas branch and to make the Pink Line permanent. For years, there has been discussions of extending the O'Hare terminus of the Blue Line westward to Schaumburg , but that has been changed, due to recent developments involving the planning of the Metra STAR Line and various other transportation projects. However, in 2008, the Regional Transit Authority revealed a plan to the RTA board to expand commuter rail and bus service, which included

3108-421: The Forest Park and 54th/Cermak terminals. Due to community fears that the Pink Line would not be enough, however, the CTA decided to retain limited Douglas Branch Blue Line service during weekday rush hours. On February 15, 2006, the CTA approved the separate operation of the Douglas Branch plan. All non-rush hour trains would all be routed via the Loop, Green Line and Paulina Connector. During rush hour, service

3192-464: The Forest Park branch tracks diverge to permit a ramp up to the Cermak Branch elevated structure. This ramp was formerly used in revenue service from 1958 to 2008 when the Blue Line operated over the Cermak branch and the Forest Park branch. With the replacement of Cermak branch Blue Line service with the Pink Line, the ramp is now non-revenue trackage used for the transfer of 5000 series trains that

3276-562: The Kennedy Expressway on the Northwest side and one on the Eisenhower Expressway in Forest Park, Illinois . It also has two stations on Western Avenue: one on the segment between downtown and O'Hare, and one immediately west of downtown.) The Blue Line also has two in-system transfers (both in the Loop), and does not share tracks with any other 'L' line. Before the adoption of color-coded names,

3360-582: The Lake–Dan Ryan route. It operated over the Lake Street and Wabash Avenue sides of the Union Loop. This "interim" service was created mainly for the purpose of providing through service between the west side and the south side in anticipation of the 1968 Loop Subway Project . When the controversial subway project was cancelled in 1979, the Lake-Dan Ryan service remained and lasted for 24 years. For much of

3444-536: The Loop at the southwest corner. With opening of the Dearborn Subway, the old elevated alignment between Evergreen Portal and Marshfield Junction was decommissioned, used only for moving out-of-service rail cars. The northern section of the connection between Evergreen Avenue and Lake Street was demolished in the 1960s, leaving the Lake Street to Douglas Branch section—better known as the Paulina Connector—the only section still in operation. The Humboldt Park Branch

Blue Line (CTA) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3528-682: The Metropolitan Elevated's Logan Square branch , is the oldest portion of the Blue Line, and the sole section of the line on an elevated viaduct. The three stations on this section ( California , Western , and Damen ) are also the only three stations on the line to use side platforms instead of island platforms. At the intersection of Ashland and Milwaukee Avenues, the Blue Line descends underground, swings over to Milwaukee Avenue, and continues southeast towards downtown under Milwaukee Avenue (with stops at Division , Chicago and Grand ). The line then turns east under Lake Street, crossing beneath

3612-523: The North Side Main Line stations of the Red Line which includes Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence. The stations are listed in order, starting at Granville, then Morse, Thorndale, Argyle, Berwyn, Lawrence and finally Jarvis. This project started in June 2012 and was completed in December 2012. This project is also part of the Red Ahead's "Red & Purple Modernization" Project. The Red & Purple Modernization Project will include

3696-476: The Red Line down the median of the Bishop Ford Freeway and another in the median of Interstate 57. During an alternatives analysis meeting on April 11, 2007, CTA narrowed further study down to five possible routes, two for bus rapid transit and three for heavy rail (rapid) transit . The two bus routes would travel south from the 95th/Dan Ryan terminal either down Halsted Street or Michigan Avenue , while

3780-588: The Red Line tracks enter the median strip of the Franklin Street Connector, The Red Line then tunnels beneath the expressway interchange between 28th and 30th Streets and continues the rest of the way to 95th Street in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstate 90 & 94). Chicago pioneered using expressway medians for local "L" train lines (the other two being the Eisenhower Expressway and Kennedy Expressways , which both carry portions of

3864-454: The Red Line tracks just north of Belmont . South of Belmont, Red, Brown and Purple Line Express trains run side-by-side on the four track North Side "L" to Armitage . Red Line trains run on the two middle tracks, only making two stops at Belmont & Fullerton and skipping Wellington , Diversey and Armitage . Wrigley Field , home of the Chicago Cubs , is served by the Addison station. Additionally, Guaranteed Rate Field , home of

3948-414: The Red Line underwent a rehabilitation period to improve its aging infrastructure which ended in early 2007. This work included upgrading the power and signal systems, and rehabilitating the stations with improved lighting, a cleaner appearance, and new escalators and elevators. The CTA has plans to expand Red Line service to ten car trains from the current eight-car trains. In spring 2012, the CTA started

4032-431: The Screen 2 presentation of the federally mandated Alternatives Analysis Study, the possible corridors and modes of transit were furthered narrowed down to either Halsted Street (bus rapid transit or elevated Heavy Rail Transit) and the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated Heavy Rail Transit). In December 2009, the CTA identified the locally preferred alternative as the Union Pacific corridor. A map and description of

4116-403: The State Street subway on the Near North Side , Downtown , and the South Loop , and then through the Dan Ryan Expressway median to 95th/Dan Ryan in the Roseland neighborhood on the South Side. Like Chicago's Blue Line , the Red Line runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, making Chicago, New York City , and Copenhagen the only three cities in the world that operate train service 24 hours

4200-407: The airport's main parking garage, with direct pedestrian access to Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The line emerges in the median of the O'Hare main access road ( Interstate 190 ) just northwest of Terminal 5, about a mile (1.6 km) west of Mannheim Road. The line runs in the median of Interstate 190 east through Rosemont . The line has a station at River Road in Rosemont , which is also the location of

4284-432: The distinction only when it runs its weekday rush hour route. At 13th Street, the subway swings away from State Street on a reverse curve to the southwest then rises to another portal at 16th Street adjacent Metra 's Rock Island District line. The Red Line leaves at 16th Street and continues southward on an elevated structure to 24th Street. There is a stop at Cermak–Chinatown on this portion. South of Cermak Road ,

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4368-401: The extension of the Red Line south of 95th Street. The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, on the north side. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile (1 kilometer) west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood Avenue to Morse station. From there the route swings on

4452-409: The first section between Jefferson Park and River Road opening on February 27, 1983, and the final section to O'Hare on September 3, 1984. On February 21, 1993, the CTA adopted a color-coded naming system to the rapid transit system, and the West-Northwest route (O'Hare-Congress/Douglas) became the Blue Line. On October 15, 2015, the CTA announced the completed installation of 4G wireless service on

4536-418: The future because that particular stretch of the line, between Jefferson Park and Harlem, is the second longest on the 'L' system without a station, behind the gap on the Yellow Line between Oakton-Skokie and Howard , although the Yellow Line was designed this way to quickly shuttle passengers to/from the Howard station ( the Howard station serves the Red and Purple Lines). In December 2016, Pace introduced

4620-421: The heavy rail routes left for consideration were the Halsted and Michigan corridors (either underground or elevated) as well as the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated or trench), which would traverse southeastward toward the South Shore Line . In October 2008, the CTA commissioned a $ 150,000 study of an extension due south to 130th/Stony Island in the community area of Riverdale . In December 2008, at

4704-465: The line opened on May 31, 1900, running from the Loop to Wilson. It was constructed by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad . The route was extended to Central Street in Evanston on May 16, 1908, via leased and electrified trackage belonging to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway . In November 1913, the North Side "L" was through routed with the South Side "L" lines through the Loop. The ground-level section between Leland Avenue and Howard Street

4788-437: The line tunnels beneath an express lane exit. South of Addison Street, the line descends into a subway and turns south under Kimball Avenue. The line travels under Kimball Avenue and Milwaukee Avenues through Logan Square , making stops at Belmont and Logan Square . South of Logan Square, the line emerges above ground onto an elevated structure parallel to Milwaukee Avenue. This section of structure, built in 1895 as part of

4872-493: The midday and nighttime. On Saturdays, service runs 8tph in the early morning, then increase to 10 tph during the day, then 8 tph at night. On Sundays, service runs 6–8 tph early morning, then increase to 10 tph all day, then 6 tph at night. On the weekends, every other Blue Line train operates between O'Hare and UIC-Halsted only during the daytime, doubling the headways up to 5 tph. Between approximately midnight and 5:30 a.m., night owl service on

4956-434: The midday and nighttime. On Saturdays, 6 tph in the early morning, then increase to 10–11 tph during the day, then 8 tph at night. On Sundays, service runs 6 tph early morning, then increase to 8tph minutes all day into early evening, 6 tph later at night. Between approximately midnight and 5:30 a.m., night owl service on the Red Line ranges between ten and fifteen minutes (4–6 tph). The oldest section of

5040-431: The nine stations reopened in October 2013. The Red Line is operated with the Bombardier -built 5000-series railcars. From 2012 until October 2013, the Red Line was operated with the 2400-series cars, during weekday rush hours, and from 1993 until 2015, the Red Line was operated with the 2600-series cars. As the 5000-series cars were delivered, the Red Line's 2600-series cars were transferred to other lines to replace

5124-507: The north of the Blue Line portals, which extend only a few dozen feet beyond the portals. These were intended to accommodate future expansion, including a new CA&E line to a new terminal. Among those plans were a loop subway system via Congress, Dearborn, Lake, and Clinton when the Milwaukee-Dearborn-Congress Subway was completed between 1951 and 1958, and a shuttle subway route under Jackson Street to Grant Park (1958, "New Horizons for Chicago Metropolitan Area", CTA ). Between 1968 and 1978,

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5208-492: The northern storage yard and served as a temporary terminal from 1983 to 1984 while the O'Hare station was being completed. The tracks then tunnel beneath the Kennedy Expressway / Northwest Tollway interchange near the Des Plaines River . The line runs in the median of the Kennedy Expressway ( Interstate 90 ) until a point southeast of Addison Street, making stops at Cumberland , Harlem , Jefferson Park , Montrose , Irving Park and Addison . Between Montrose and Irving Park,

5292-464: The on-highway BRT I-90 Express service. The successor to the Blue Line Extension and the STAR Line, this service serves as an extension of the Blue Line and provides rapid service along I-90 all the way to Elgin. The surface right-of-way for the Congress Branch, including overcrossings, undergrade bridges and two short tunnels under the expressway, contains space for one extra track between Forest Park and Kenton Avenue and two extra tracks from Kenton to

5376-408: The rapid transit line remain an option. An extension to 130th Street is in its final planning stages. This extension includes three elevated stations at 103rd, 111th, and Michigan, an at-grade terminal station at 130th. Stations along the Red Line serve important Chicago landmarks such as Guaranteed Rate Field and the Illinois Institute of Technology ( Sox–35th ), DePaul University ( Fullerton ),

5460-468: The route are found at TransitChicago.com. Multiple Environmental Impact Studies will be carried out, and will determine exact alignments and design. The alignment consists of a new elevated rail line between 95th/Dan Ryan and a new terminal station at 130th Street, paralleling the Union Pacific Railroad and the South Shore Line , through the Far South Side neighborhoods of Roseland , Washington Heights , West Pullman , and Riverdale . In addition to

5544-410: The second through service in Chicago, the Congress/Douglas-Milwaukee Line. A five-mile (8 km) extension of the route via a short subway connection and the Kennedy Expressway median from Logan Square to Jefferson Park opened on February 1, 1970. It was also built by the City of Chicago using federal money. Just before Logan Square, trains diverted off of the old elevated structure and entered

5628-406: The service cut was an experiment, the CTA immediately covered Blue Line stations' directional signage for trains to 54th/Cermak with paint rather than temporary covering, suggesting it was a permanent discontinuation instead of a temporary one. All Douglas Branch operations are now served by the Pink Line. On December 4, 2008, CTA announced its decision to permanently discontinue Blue Line service on

5712-414: The subway corridor plan under Monroe Street was never officially canceled when the Crosstown and Loop Subway projects were deferred in 1979. It remains to this day an active program. Between Grand/Milwaukee and Clark/Lake in the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, two more stub tunnels exist, continuing west under Lake Street while the in-service tracks turn northwest under Milwaukee Avenue. This junction (actually

5796-421: The subway reduced running time by as much as eleven minutes for a one-way trip. The route was placed in operation on October 17, 1943, for a portion of the through north–south trains, although other trains continued to use the "L" both on through trips and on services circling the Loop and returning to the point of origin. In August 1949, the North–South route was revised to create a more efficient routing through

5880-424: The subway under Milwaukee and Kedzie Avenues to a portal just south of Addison Street, then emerged in the median of the Kennedy Expressway to the temporary terminal at Jefferson Park. The increased ridership that resulted from the extension prompted the CTA to build the second phase of the project, and extend the line the rest of the way to O'Hare. In March 1980, construction began on the O'Hare Airport extension, with

5964-458: The terminal station at 130th, three new stations would be built at 103rd, 111th, and Michigan, and a new yard and shop would be built at 120th Street. Basic engineering, along with an environmental impact statement, were underway by 2010. In August 2024, the CTA awarded a $ 2.3 billion construction contract to Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners for the 4-stop extension, with a total project cost (including financing) of $ 5.3 billion. Construction

6048-595: The tunnel portals at UIC-Halsted. It was intended that the interurban Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad, which had utilized the Garfield Park Elevated until 1953 to reach its Loop terminal at Wells Street, would use these extra tracks. However, the CA&;E ceased passenger service on July 3, 1957, before track construction had started. The CTA also considered plans of its own to add these as express tracks (and service) over

6132-586: The vicinity of Desplaines Avenue the tracks rise and make an S-curve north over the expressway before terminating at the Forest Park station. Like the Red Line , the Blue Line runs 24 hours a day. Most trains run between O'Hare and Forest Park stations, but others terminate at a different station along the line. On weekdays, service runs very frequently (10–20 tph (trains per hour)) during rush hour (with some trains running short-turn services between UIC-Halsted and Jefferson Park or Rosemont), and 6–8 tph during

6216-642: The years, as well as a rerouting of the Lake Elevated onto the Paulina Elevated (today's Pink Line ) into a new quadrant of the junction with the Douglas Line at Racine, but these plans were discarded for alternative plans and today the system has an entirely separate line in the system, the Pink Line. The dual portals of the Congress Branch at UIC-Halsted are actually quadruple. Two extra portals exist to

6300-411: Was available on the new route as well as the existing route via the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. These changes were scheduled to be implemented for a 180-day trial period beginning June 25, 2006, and after their evaluation in early 2007, the Pink Line remained in service. Beginning April 28, 2008, the CTA began a six-month experimental ceasing of Blue Line operations on the Douglas. Despite maintaining that

6384-534: Was completed from Damen Avenue to Logan Square on May 25, 1895. The next stage in the development of the West Side 'L' came on June 19, 1895, when the Garfield Park Branch was added, extending west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street and Harrison Street from Marshfield Avenue to Cicero Avenue. An extension of service over the tracks of the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad to a new terminal at Desplaines Avenue

6468-577: Was cut back to a full-time shuttle between Damen and Lawndale, and discontinued a year later on May 3, 1952. The Garfield Park elevated was replaced by the Congress line on June 22, 1958, pioneering the world's first use of rail rapid transit and a multi-lane automobile expressway in the same grade-separated right-of-way. ( Pacific Electric Railway "Red Car" tracks ran in the median of the Cahuenga Parkway in Los Angeles from 1944 until its expansion into

6552-458: Was elevated on a concrete embankment structure and widened to four tracks in 1922. The State Street subway opened on October 17, 1943, providing two new tracks bypassing the Loop tracks and the portion of the North and South Side "L" lines not equipped with express tracks. By providing an express route free of the most restrictive curves on the Chicago "L" and shorter than the old line it supplemented,

6636-492: Was established on March 11, 1905. A subsequent extension to Westchester opened on October 1, 1926, over tracks that had originally been built by the CA&E with the intentions of building a bypass route. (Low ridership would prompt the CTA to discontinue service on the Westchester extension on December 9, 1951.) Another branch line was added to the rapidly growing Metropolitan on July 29, 1895, when trains began operating over

6720-402: Was expected by the CTA to last from late 2025 to 2030. There are two rail yards for the Red Line cars: Howard Yard , for the northern portion of the line and the 98th Yard for the southern portion of the line. Another yard, the 120th Yard has been proposed as part of the Red Line extension. Chicago station (CTA Blue Line) Chicago , ( Chicago/Milwaukee in station announcements)

6804-517: Was later cut back to 54th Avenue in Cicero . The Metropolitan West Side Elevated began service onto the Loop on October 11, 1897, and a rush period stub terminal at Wells Street was added October 3, 1904. For much of the early 20th century and through the 1940s, service on the West Side Elevated lines went unchanged until 1947, when the Chicago Transit Authority took control of the 'L', initiating

6888-508: Was paired with the Dan Ryan branch creating the current Red Line and the Lake Street branch was paired with the Englewood and Jackson Park branches to form the Green Line . A further operational benefit of this switch was that this freed up capacity in the Loop needed for the addition of the Orange Line to Midway Airport . The former tracks used to move West-South trains from the Loop to the Dan Ryan line are still retained for non-revenue moves and service disruptions. The Dan Ryan Branch of

6972-528: Was restored. In January 2005, the CTA held hearings on a proposal to reroute Douglas Branch service via the recently rebuilt Paulina Connector to the Lake Street Green Line , carrying Douglas trains to and around the elevated Loop for the first time since 1958. It was the first stage of what became the Pink Line . This would have allowed a doubling of Blue Line trains to Forest Park on the Congress Branch, since service would no longer be divided between

7056-545: Was used again for regular "L" service from May until October 2013, because Red Line trains were rerouted to the Green Line's South Side Main Line tracks and terminated at Ashland/63rd during the five months of the Red Line South Reconstruction Project. This service was used again from April to November 2017 and July 2018 to April 2019. The Red Line is the only Chicago "L" line that connects to all seven other "L" lines full time. The Purple Line shares

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