The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has launched a comprehensive programme of track repairs and maintenance designed to provide faster and smoother rides for ‘L’ passengers.
The FastTracks programme will reduce by up to six minutes off a typical round-trip commute on the Red, Blue, Brown and Green Lines, the four busiest rail lines, by repairing and upgrading rail, rail ties and electrical power in multiple locations throughout the system. The USD 179 million investment is being funded through a small increase in fees charged to app-based ride-hailing companies operating in Chicago. The fee, proposed by the Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, and approved by City Council in November, is the first of its kind in the country to directly support investment in public transport.
The first phase of the programme includes track repairs in various spots on the Green Line just south of 35th Street. Crews will replace worn rail ties, which is important to maintain the gauge of the track and support the trains’ weight, which will make rides smoother, more comfortable and more reliable for customers. The improvements will address numerous “slow zones” where trains travel lower than optimal speed—fixing current slow zones and helping prevent others from occurring.
The track work across the rail lines will remove slow zones and increase service reliability. The improvements entail a combination of repairing and replacing sections of iron rail, replacing deteriorated wooden rail ties and adjusting and maintaining track ballast. The electrical power improvements along the Blue Line O’Hare branch will allow CTA to run additional trains during high-ridership times like the morning rush period on weekdays, which will help address crowded trains and reduce the amount of time customers have to wait on platforms.
Work will be performed in phases and will begin in early 2018 and continue through 2021.
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