Red Line southbound morning rush capacity to drop 20%
Phase 2 of the three-tracking project will slow down southbound riders starting in late March when the CTA reduces capacity on the Red Line by about 20%.
Starting March 30, the number of Red Line train cars heading south during the morning rush (7:35 to 8:55 am) will drop to 120 from the current 152. At that time, Red, Brown and Purple Line trains will share a single track in the second phase of the project to build new platforms at Fullerton and Belmont.
There's a small bit of good news here: The number of Brown Line trains will stay the same but capacity on them will grow by 33% because the CTA will operate eight-car trains instead of six-car runs. Great progress on expanding many of the Brown Line stations allows the CTA to start using eight cars.
The CTA also will add two "sneaker trains" per hour southbound starting at North/Clybourn to add a little more capacity.
"Single-track northbound will be a thing of the past by March 30," said CTA President Ron Huberman at Wednesday's board meeting. Currently northbound Red Line trains use Track No. 3 at Fullerton, but share a single track with the Brown and Purple trains at Belmont.
This reduction in southbound service is about equal to the reduction in northbound service that started in early April last year. If folks continues to "leave early, leave late and alternate" then we should get through this OK.
Finally, the CTA Wednesday also announced the Skokie Swift Yellow Line will now run on weekends from 6:30 am till 10:30 pm starting March 30.
The CTA also said they are making all this stuff effective March 30 because that is my birthday.
Well, just kidding about the first part, but not about my birth date.
How about we get more afternoon rush hour trains for the Orange Line? I'm tired of the Green and Pink lines showing up two or three each for every Orange line train. Or at least make some Orange Lines express to Pulaski and Midway, where over 60% of the riders from the Loop get off.
and by the way CTA, how hard is it to set up Green Line cars? Just yesterday a train pulled into State/Lake with the Red Line 'Howard' on its signage, inside the track layout for a Purple Line but the driver announcing it as a Green Line.
Posted by: Ed | February 14, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Really, I 'm going to have to disagree with Mr Huberman.
Right now, with a full track of its own, southbound Red Line service during rush hour is not anywhere near the service level of outbound Northbound 8 hours later running on one track either fullerton or belmont or just belmont now.
The trains are supposed to be running every 4 minutes SB during rush hour. This is a fantasy. I travel from Addison to Lake every morning. This trip is supposed to take 20 minutes. It takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes with 40+ being about the norm. I've heard that they are going to run trains every 2 minutes...like that is ever going to happen ...If they can't keep them running every 4 minutes, how are they going to do 2?
I can't even begin to imagine how bad it will be with one track service.
As its been suggested elsewhere, the sensible solution would be to use the Northbound station at Belmont and Fullerton on SB trains during rush hours and keep the single track for Northbound or do a reverseable thing like they do on the expressways.
I think a majority of us don't have as much of a problem with being delayed with the outbound trip since it might make us a little late for dinner as opposed to making us late for work on the inbound trip.
Also, I think it was pre-Huberman to stop the extra 22 NB buses from the loop at Belmont for some reason, instead of stopping them at lets say Addison since Addison is only a red line stop, not a red/brown/purple like Belmont.
So, Ron, if you are reading this, please make some sense out of this. Don't make an already bad situation every worse.
Posted by: KevinB | February 14, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Are they going to switch the purple line back to going clockwise around the loop? This would at least give people who work on the east side of the loop an alternative to squeezing onto the red line, or adding time onto an already delayed commute by going all the way around in the opposite direction on the brown.
Posted by: eirc | February 14, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Kevin, I don't understand how it can take you 40 minutes to Lake from Addison on the train alone when my entire commute, door to door with el travel from Thorndale to Grand takes at most 50?
Posted by: Wondering | February 14, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Kevin, I don't understand how it can take you 40 minutes to Lake from Addison on the train alone when my entire commute, door to door with el travel from Thorndale to Grand takes at most 50?
Posted by: Wondering | February 14, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Sorry for the double post. Oops.
Posted by: Wondering | February 14, 2008 at 12:51 PM
I just know that I get to the addison station at about 8:20 and my arrival time is between 8:50 and 9:10. I should be able to leave as late as 8:40 and still make it by 9am (only have to walk about 1 block to work from Lake (less if they ever open the Washington station again) according to the schedule).
Alot of this is stopping/slowing for no reason between belmont and fullerton. If trains ever ran 4 minutes apart like they are supposed to, I'd have a cornary on the spot.
Kevin
Posted by: KevinB | February 14, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I actually kept track of times this morning.
Arrive at 8:22 this morning. Notice train from street level at 8:20. Get to platform, notice lots of people there. Evidently unable to get on 8:20 train. Train comes at 8:25 unable to get on as the platform is packed and I forgot to bring my poking umbrella.
next train comes at 8:34. 9 minutes since last train. Force way onto train by faking chest pains. Many people left on platform. Again we slow/stop for phantom slow down beeps between Belmont and Fullerton. I'm in first car, I look out window. no trains in front of us as far as I can see (which would be the tunnel entrance).
Get into Lake at 8:58. 2 minutes late for work even though I allow almost 40 minutes for a 20 minute ride.
Posted by: KevinB | February 15, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Too bad my view of the El tracks is impaired from my house. I'd like to set up a video camera with a clock and see actually how close they keep to their schedule on a daily basis.
Kevin
Posted by: KevinB | February 15, 2008 at 09:24 AM
Let's see...the Red Line reduction is starting at the end of March...JUST IN TIME FOR THE START OF CUBS AND SOX SEASON!!!
Your tax dollars at work...NOT!!!
Posted by: Nina Gaspich | February 15, 2008 at 05:10 PM
That's a Red line reduction of 4 trains(out of 19) during the peak morning rush period, southbound. I don't think too many Cubs games attendees are riding the Red line that early on game days.
Posted by: John T | February 15, 2008 at 07:38 PM