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32-516: The Lake Street branch, Chicago's second oldest elevated rail line, began operations on November 6, 1893, from Madison and Market Streets (present-day Wacker Drive) to California Avenue and Lake Street. It was built by the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company and originally equipped with small 0-4-4T Forney type steam locomotives hauling wooden coaches. Electrification of the road was completed between 1894 and 1896. "L" service

64-764: A new bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River was completed in the 1970s. The Western and Merchandise Mart stations were rebuilt in the 1980s. Prior to the start of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project, these two stations, along with the Kimball terminal were the only ADA accessible stations on the Brown Line outside of the Loop. The Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project which ran from 2004 to 2009

96-506: A point south of the Addison station. Here the route turns east again and runs parallel to Roscoe Street past Sheffield Avenue where it once again turns south at Clark Junction to join the four-track North Side elevated line in Lakeview . From just north of Belmont station south to Armitage , Brown and Red Line trains operate side by side, with Purple Line Express trains sharing the tracks with

128-637: A stop is made at the Merchandise Mart before crossing the Chicago River on the upper level of the Wells Street Bridge before joining the Loop Elevated at Lake Street . Operating counter-clockwise, Brown Line trains operate around the Loop on the Outer track via Wells-Van Buren-Wabash-Lake, serving all Loop stations, before the return trip back north to the Kimball terminal. There are three sections of

160-572: A train on the Lake–Dan Ryan line was involved in the worst accident in CTA history, the Chicago Loop Derailment , where the train operator ignored a cab signal and rear ended a Ravenswood train parked at the nearby State/Lake station . This killed 11 and injured nearly 200 people. From 1969 to 1983, the 2000-series cars were used on the Lake–Dan Ryan route; from 1969 to 1983 the 2200-series ;

192-535: Is generally provided by four cars, although this may be extended to eight cars due to special events and holidays. The Northwestern Elevated Railroad opened the line, originally known as the Ravenswood line, between the existing main line and Western Avenue in Lincoln Square on May 18, 1907. The route was completed to the Kimball terminal on December 14, 1907. The Kimball terminal was completely renovated and

224-554: The 2400-series cars from 1983 to 1993; and finally the 2600-series cars from 1984 to 1993. Lake Street Elevated Railroad The Lake Street Elevated Railroad was the second permanent elevated rapid transit line to be constructed in Chicago , Illinois. The first section of the line opened in November 1893. Its route is still used today as part of the Green Line route of

256-465: The 95th Street Terminal , were designed by the architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill , under the direction of Myron Goldsmith who emphasized a modernist approach to their design in the fashion of his mentor and predecessor, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe . However, no station was planned at Roosevelt/Wabash (until 1987) because of its close proximity to the State Street subway , and because

288-569: The Blue Line , with some of the Orange Line's 2600-series cars being transferred to the Brown Line. Beginning in March 2008, the Brown Line began running eight cars during rush hours, since all of the reopened or renovated stations have been rebuilt to accommodate eight cars. Prior to this, most stations on the line couldn't berth longer than six cars. Early morning, midday, late evening, and weekend service

320-453: The Chicago "L" system. The Lake Street Elevated Railway Company was chartered on February 7, 1888, and granted a 25-year franchise by the city council to build an elevated railroad above Lake Street from Canal Street to the city limits. It was originally planned that the line would use a steam-powered monorail system that had been developed by Joe Meigs in Cambridge, Massachusetts , however

352-643: The "L" was going to be torn down and Dan Ryan (and eventually Midway) service shifted into the Franklin Street Connector and into the Loop. It was also considered to route Dan Ryan service to the North Side before its construction from 1967 to 1969. Funding for the Kennedy and Dan Ryan rail projects would not allow for the necessary connections to the State Street subway at the time, so, it was decided to combine

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384-593: The Brown Line during weekday rush hours. Brown and Purple Line trains run on the outermost tracks serving five stops, while Red Line trains run on the innermost tracks making only two stops. South of the Armitage station, Brown and Purple Line trains continue southward towards the Chicago Loop on elevated tracks which zigzags its way through the neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Near North Side stopping at Sedgwick and Chicago . Running over Franklin, then Wells Street,

416-630: The Brown Line was known as the Ravenswood Route ; specifically, the series of stations from Belmont to Kimball were called the Ravenswood branch. Accordingly, the Kimball-Belmont shuttle service was called the Ravenswood Shuttle. The Brown Line begins on the northwest side of Chicago, at the Kimball terminal in Albany Park , where there is a storage yard and servicing shop for the trains to

448-650: The Brown Line which includes the Ravenswood Branch that connects from Kimball Avenue station to Belmont Avenue station; merging from the Purple Line Express. Another is the North Side Main Line which connects from Belmont Avenue station to the Merchandise Mart before entering the Loop. The Brown Line enters the loop going counter-clockwise from Washington/​Wells to Clark/Lake and then exits

480-624: The Harold Washington Library station; whereas several Orange Line trains bound for Kimball continue as the Brown Line after stopping at Adams/Wabash station. While this service does not have an official name, the CTA internally refers to it as the Tiger Line (due to the two colors resembling the stripes of a tiger ). The Brown Line is operated with the 2600-series and 3200-series railcars. The Brown Line operates using eight cars during weekday rush hours and four cars at other times. In

512-627: The Howard and Dan Ryan branches, and lesser traffic on the Lake Street and South Side branches. In February 1993, the CTA overhauled its system and launched a color-coded route plan. In the process, the Lake–Dan Ryan route was split. The Lake Street branch running west of the Loop became a part of the Green Line , and the Dan Ryan branch running south of the Loop became a part of the Red Line . On February 4, 1977,

544-742: The Lake Street "L" with the new Dan Ryan Line uniting the West and South Sides of the City. On September 28, 1969, Lake–Dan Ryan service began from the 95th Street Terminal north to downtown Chicago via the Union Loop "L" and west to Harlem . Traffic on both legs of the Lake–Dan Ryan line was nearly level until the mid-1970s when passenger volumes began to shift on the West-South route and the North-South route (Howard–Englewood/Jackson Park), inclusive, with heavier traffic on

576-416: The company eventually chose to use more traditional steam locomotives. Construction of the line began in 1889. Potential investors found the franchise too restrictive and a new 40 year franchise was awarded by the city council in November 1890, that allowed the railroad to extend to Market Street in downtown Chicago. By 1892 the company had debts of $ 17 million (equivalent to $ 576 million in 2023 ). It

608-463: The day and ten minutes on Sundays during the day, then at nighttime every ten to twelve minutes. Late night service operates every fifteen minutes until the end of service, although late night trips from Kimball to Belmont stations operate every half hour Monday thru Saturday nights. During morning rush hour, several Brown Line trains bound for the Loop continue toward the Orange Line after stopping at

640-427: The east of the passenger station. From there, trains operate over street level tracks between Leland and Eastwood Avenues to Rockwell , then ramp up to the elevated structure for the rest of the trip. The trains on the street-level section are powered by third rail rather than overhead catenary (the technology used by most other U.S. electric-powered at-grade rail systems), a decision that exposes wayward pedestrians to

672-748: The loop, heading towards the Kimball Avenue station. The Brown Line operates between Kimball and the Loop weekdays and Saturdays from 4 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. and on Sundays from 5 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. The Brown Line Shuttle service runs only between Kimball and Belmont between 1:30 a.m. and 2:25 a.m. At Belmont, southbound riders can transfer to the 24-hour Red Line . On weekdays, service runs between three and eight minutes during rush hour, seven to eight minutes during midday, then six to twelve minutes during nighttime. On weekends, early morning service operates every fifteen minutes, then increases to seven to eight minutes on Saturdays during

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704-410: The meantime, CTA has completed the process of overhauling the 3200-series cars with color LED destination signs (similar to the 5000-series cars), new air conditioning systems, rebuilt propulsion systems, passenger door motors, and wheel/axle assemblies. The 3200-series rehabilitation began in 2015 and was completed in 2018. Later that year, some of the Brown Line's 3200-series cars were transferred to

736-476: 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 the CTA's environmental review on the bypass in January 2016 and received a $ 1.1 billion federal grant the following year. Sixteen properties affected by

768-516: The old Market Street stub in 1948. The western 2.6-mile (4.2 km) section between Laramie Avenue and the Forest Park terminal, which consisted of at-grade trackage, was elevated onto the adjacent Union Pacific Railroad embankment on October 28, 1962. The grade separation improvement (one of CTA's 1958 New Horizons programs) alleviated 22 street level crossings which plagued pedestrian, auto, and rapid transit movements for nearly 70 years. Following

800-485: The previous maximum of six-cars. Merchandise Mart was the only station not to receive any work as it had previously been reconstructed from 1987 to 1988, and was already ADA compliant and able to accommodate eight-car trains. Two stations, Kimball and Western , received small platform extensions but little other work, and the other 16 stations were completely rebuilt. The first two stations to be completed, Kedzie and Rockwell , reopened on August 16, 2006, and all of

832-604: The risk of electrocution. A fatal accident in 1977 involving an intoxicated man, who did not speak English and was unable to read the posted warning signage, attempted to urinate on the third rail at the Kedzie station eventually resulted in an Illinois Supreme Court decision in 1992 affirming a verdict of $ 1.5 million against CTA. After the Damen station, the route turns south, about one-half block parallel and west of Metra 's Union Pacific North railroad line and Ravenswood Avenue to

864-423: The stations had reopened by July 30, 2009, when the new Wellington station entered service. The project was completed on December 31, 2009. The Red & Purple Modernization Project includes a redesign of a diamond junction north of Belmont Station into a flyover allowing Brown Line trains going north to circumnavigate crossings with Red and Purple Line trains. The project decreased train backups and increased

896-773: The successful introduction of the Congress Line in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway in June 1958, the City of Chicago began construction on two more expressway rapid transit extensions in 1967: the Milwaukee branch from Logan Square to Jefferson Park via Kennedy Expressway , and the Dan Ryan Expressway Line from 17th Street to 95th Street. The nine stations, located at Cermak–Chinatown , Sox–35th , 47th , Garfield , 63rd , 69th , 79th , 87th , and

928-658: Was sold to new owners, renamed the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company, and a new charter was granted on August 24, 1892. The first section, running from the downtown terminal at Market Street and Madison to California Avenue opened to the public in October 1893. The line was completed to 52nd Avenue (Laramie) —a total length of 6.4 miles (10.3 km)—in April 1894. Service was extended to Austin Avenue in (what

960-542: Was subsequently extended west into the western suburbs of Oak Park in 1899 and Forest Park in 1910. The Lake Street branch was also the first "L" road to operate around the Union Loop "L" on September 3, 1897, five weeks before its official inauguration. Shortly after the CTA assumed control of the city's bus and rail systems, Lake Street service was changed with the closing of several stations (Morgan, Racine, Ogden, Damen, Oakley, Sacramento, Hamlin, Kostner, Menard, and Lombard) and

992-526: Was then) the suburb of Austin via a section of track built at-grade in April 1899. Brown Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Brown Line of the Chicago "L" system, is an 11.4-mile (18.3 km) route with 27 stations between Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood and downtown Chicago . It runs completely above ground and is almost entirely grade-separated. It is the third-busiest 'L' route, with an average of 33,302 passengers boarding each weekday in 2023. Before CTA lines were color-coded in 1993,

Lake–Dan Ryan Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

1024-532: Was undertaken to repair aging infrastructure and increase passenger capacity. Work on the project began in late 2004 with signal upgrades, particularly at Clark Junction . In February 2006, station reconstruction began with right-of-way modernization between Kimball and Rockwell Avenue. Traction power equipment and train control systems were upgraded and a new fiber optic communication network installed. Brown Line stations were rebuilt or modified meet ADA compliance and to accommodate eight-car trains, increasing from

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