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Commuter Rail

CTA to Use ‘Stimulus Funds’ for Slow Zone Project in Dearborn Subway

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority Board approved a $56.6 million contract for renewal of approximately 36,000 feet of track in the Blue Line Dearborn subway. Funding for the work is being provided by “stimulus funds.” The work will remove the existing slow zones and help prevent the creation of new slow zones in the Dearborn subway. In 2007 and 2008, CTA eliminated 6,336 feet of slow zones in the Blue Line subway between the Damen and Clark/Lake stations. “The allocation of stimulus funding comes at a critical time for CTA as the agency needs funding to maintain an aging

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Commuter Rail

One Injured in CTA Derailment

CHICAGO — One person was injured when a Chicago Transit Authority train derailed, according to published reports. The derailment on the CTA’s red line comes a week after a green line train derailed. Fourteen people were injured in the Green Line derailment. None of the four cars in today’s derailment overturned, and all of the train passengers walked to a nearby station. — Railfanning.org News Wire

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Commuter Rail

CTA: Additional Work Means Removal of 8 Miles of Slow Zones This Year

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority announced an aggressive schedule to eliminate eight miles of slow zones on branches of two of its busiest rail lines – the north branch of the Red Line and the subway portion of the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line. The subway portion of the Blue Line work is underway and will be completed by mid-September and the Red Line work will be completed by year-end. Over the last ten weeks, CTA engineers have been focused on developing a detailed specification for re-building the Blue Line tracks from Addison to O’Hare. “We know our

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Commuter Rail

CTA’s Diversey Station to Close for Renovation

CHICAGO — Chicago Transit Authority’s Diversey station — on the Brown Line — will temporarily close for renovation. The closure begins June 25and will be closed for 12 months while construction crews work to upgrade and extend platforms, rebuild the stationhouse and make the station accessible to customers with disabilities. The adjacent stations – Wellington and Fullerton – will remain open during the temporary closure of the Diversey station so customers may continue to use them to access Brown Line service. When the Diversey station reopens next year customers will have a new stationhouse and platform with a new elevator

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Commuter Rail

CTA Trains, Buses Back to Normal

CHICAGO — Chicago Transit Authority rail and bus service is back to normal, a day after elevated trains and several bus routes that serve the Loop were temporarily rerouted due to a crane accident at a downtown construction site. CTA routes No. 20 Madison, No. 56 Milwaukee, No. 60 Blue Island/26th and No. 120 Navy Pier have returned to their regular routing eastbound. All CTA buses and trains rerouted due to the crane accident downtown are operating along their regular routes. Southbound Red Line trains will continue to operate over the elevated tracks until 1 a.m. Monday, May 21 due

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Commuter Rail

CTA Trains and Buses Rerouted

CHICAGO — Chicago Transit Authority elevated trains and several bus routes that serve the Loop are temporarily rerouted due to a crane accident at a downtown construction site. Although trains are running, elevated trains will not serve stations along Wabash and Lake. Buses that normally travel on Washington and Madison are being rerouted. The following routes are affected: Green Line: Trains are operating into and out of the Loop via Van Buren and Wells. Brown Line: Inbound trains will only operate as far as the Belmont station before turning back. There will be no Brown Line service at Loop stations.

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Commuter Rail

CTA to Relocate Historic Stationhouse

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority will relocate the existing historic stationhouse at Fullerton from 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, May 10 until 5 a.m. on Friday, May 11. Rail service will not be affected; however, Fullerton Avenue will be closed to through traffic between Sheffield and Halsted. CTA’s #74 Fullerton bus will be temporarily rerouted eastbound via Sheffield, Webster, Lincoln, Sheffield and Fullerton then resume the regular route. The stationhouse will be temporarily stored nearby until the work to install it at its permanent location is completed. The historic stationhouse will be refurbished and opened as an auxiliary entrance/exit for

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Commuter Rail

Two Cars of CTA Train Derail

CHICAGO – The last two cars of a northbound Orange Line Chicago Transit Authority train derailed at 14th and State Street south of the Roosevelt Line station Tuesday, Dec. 19, causing delays on both the Green and Orange lines.Several minor injures were reported in the derailment. The train’s first two cars did not have a problem passing over a switch, but apparently the switch moved before the final two cars passed, causing the derailment, The Associated Press reported. At the time of the derailment, the train was traveling about 25 mph. Orange Line trains were operating between Midway and Halsted,

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NTSB

NTSB Wraps Up Initial On-Scene Investigation of CTA Wreck

CHICAGO — The National Transportation Safety Board has completed the initial on-scene phase of its investigation into the July 11 Chicago Transit Authority train derailment in a tunnel with a fire on the Blue Line. The 12-member team is continuing the investigation. As part of the ongoing investigation into this accident, the arc damaged wayside and car equipment, derailment area core samples of ties, and derailment area components of the rail fastening system have been sent to the NTSB’s laboratory in Washington, DC. CTA has also provided the NTSB with track inspection records for the past 12 months. The Safety