CTA marks 75th anniversary

Sept. 29, 2022
To celebrate the October 1 anniversary, CTA will be offering rides on its Heritage Fleet buses and trains—a collection of vintage vehicles from the 1920s through the 1970s.

To mark its 75th anniversary, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will be offering rides Oct. 1 on its Heritage Fleet buses and trains—a collection of vintage vehicles from the 1920s through the 1970s. 

“For three-quarters of a century, the CTA has connected customers and communities to work, to school, to activities and to every vibrant Chicago neighborhood,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This is an important milestone worth celebrating in appreciation for our customers, as well as our dedicated, hard-working employees, who over the last 75 years have kept CTA on track in providing the most equitable, accessible and affordable public transportation in the country!” 

Starting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, the vintage trains—the 4000-series from the 1920s, the 6000-series from the 1950s, and the 2400-series from the 1970s—will circle the Loop. Tickets will be required for the first few trips of the 4000-series and 6000-series. The free tickets can be picked up at a table in Daley Plaza starting at 9:30 a.m. Regular CTA rail fare ($2.50 full fare; $1.25 reduced fare) will still apply. 

CTA’s three vintage buses from the 1960s will also be included in the festivities. Attendees will have the opportunity to hop aboard both the Flxible bus #8499 (b. 1960) and the GMC bus #301 (b. 1962) and travel along the Loop Link corridor. Boarding for these free bus trips will be at the Loop Link station along Washington Street between Clark and Dearborn, across the street from Daley Plaza. Additionally, the Flxible-built bus #3706 (b. 1969) will be on display in Daley Plaza. 

CTA will also be distributing a limited quantity of commemorative posters from the tables in Daley Plaza.