The CTA as part of its 2015 proposed $1.44 billion budget, announced Oct. 27, plans is expanding rail service to meet growing ridership. To better serve CTA customers, additional rail service includes an increase in service on the Red, Blue, Brown, Purple and Orange Lines.
The added service is based on ridership levels and growth in 2014 — and is part of the 6.9 percent increase in rail trips added by the CTA between 2011 and 2015. Since 2011, 66 weekday, 101 Saturday and 35 Sunday round trips have been added on six rail lines (Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Purple and Red). This includes frequency improvements as well as increased span of service improvements on the Brown and Green Lines.
Some of the latest new service to be added has already been implemented in 2014. On September 29, additional rush-period service was added on the Red, Brown and Purple Lines:
- Red Line: 2 AM and 2 PM weekday rush-period trips
- Purple Line: 1 additional PM weekday rush-period trip
- Brown Line: 1 additional AM weekday rush-period trip
Additional service will be implemented on Nov. 2 on the Brown and Orange Lines:
Brown Line
- 5 weekday evening trips
- Earlier and later service from Kimball to downtown on Sundays. Brown Line shuttles currently operating between Kimball and Belmont between the hours of 5:00 AM and 6:30 AM and 11:50 PM and 12:30 AM will be extended to downtown instead of turning at Belmont and forcing customers traveling to and from downtown to transfer between the Brown and Red Lines. Service will also be extended later into the evening.
- Sunday early A.M.: service from Kimball to Loop begins at 5 A.M. instead of 6:30 A.M.; Service from the Loop to Kimball begins at 5:35 A.M. instead of 7:03 A.M. (time from Washington/Wells)
- Sunday late night: Service from Kimball to Loop extended from 11:50 P.M. to 1 A.M.; Service from Loop to Kimball extended from 12:23 A.M. to 1:35 A.M. (time from Washington/Wells))
Orange Line
- 12 trips on Saturday between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M.
Additional service to be added in 2015 includes:
- Blue Line: 2 additional rush-period trips
- Orange Line: 2 additional rush-period trips
