6-cars on Pink Line

[qwantae]

Last Thursday evening, I've seen 6 2600s cars on Ashland/ Lake Elevated Tracks operating "Pink Line", normally they're operating with 4 cars, so are they doing 6 cars just for the "Winter Advisory" situation or is it going to be 6-cars at least for every rush period (which it should be)?

[artthouwill]

Last Thursday evening, I've seen 6 2600s cars on Ashland/ Lake Elevated Tracks operating "Pink Line", normally they're operating with 4 cars, so are they doing 6 cars just for the "Winter Advisory" situation or is it going to be 6-cars at least for every rush period (which it should be)?

I guess that was a one time thing. There have been four car trains I observed tonight.

Yesterday, I rode a Purple Line train, the first 2 cars were 2600 series and the last 2 cars were 2400 series with Purple Line signage, but the middle two cars 2697- 2698 (which I was on) was interesting. First, I think they are normally assigned to the Red Line, but no maps were posted at all in these two cars. Second, the signage on the roller curtain had Ashland/63 on these two cars. When the train left Mdse Mart and flipped the Purple Line signs from Loop to Linden, the signs on 2697-98 flipped to Harlem.

I also observed the 5000s on the Purple Line Express, six cars, heading NB.

[jajuan]

Last Thursday evening, I've seen 6 2600s cars on Ashland/ Lake Elevated Tracks operating "Pink Line", normally they're operating with 4 cars, so are they doing 6 cars just for the "Winter Advisory" situation or is it going to be 6-cars at least for every rush period (which it should be)?

It was pretty much just for the Winter Advisory situation we had for much of last week. Yesterday and today's rush periods were back to 4-car trains. The only time CTA really uses 6 car trains on the Pink Line is for events that require them to move a lot more people in or out of downtown than the usual numbers. This last time it was for the blizzard. Other times have been for events like the Taste of Chicago, Lollapolooza and other downtown festivities.

[Scionic]

I guess that was a one time thing. There have been four car trains I observed tonight.

Yesterday, I rode a Purple Line train, the first 2 cars were 2600 series and the last 2 cars were 2400 series with Purple Line signage, but the middle two cars 2697- 2698 (which I was on) was interesting. First, I think they are normally assigned to the Red Line, but no maps were posted at all in these two cars. Second, the signage on the roller curtain had Ashland/63 on these two cars. When the train left Mdse Mart and flipped the Purple Line signs from Loop to Linden, the signs on 2697-98 flipped to Harlem.

I also observed the 5000s on the Purple Line Express, six cars, heading NB.

I saw weird roller curtain behavior like this back when I lived in Rogers Park and would be taking the Purple Line all the time. Since there are more potential destinations than there are slots on the curtains (15 per curtain, if I understand correctly), they wind up in that sort of situation if the train is borrowed from another section of the system. This particular train was showing "Express". The train operator apparently was sick of hearing the complaints, and got on the PA stating that "This train doesn't have the rollers for a purple line. I could put up Ashland/63, 95th, or Skokie, but nobody would understand. Not In Service would be just as confusing. This is a Purple Line to Linden. Purple Line to Linden. If you're not going to Linden, get off now."

[Amtrak41]

When they run 6 car Pinks, from where do they steal equipment ?

[chgofan78]

When they run 6 car Pinks, from where do they steal equipment ?

Usually, the equipment is borrowed from the Blue Line. The Blue Line borrows cars to the Pink and Green Lines. But, with this past scenario, there was no borrowed equipment. The trains were just scheduled farther apart. They ran six 6-car trains instead of the normal nine 4-car trains. The only extra equipment I saw in the yard at 54th was a 2-car 2400-series train.