Blue Line Sights

[trainman8119]

A few Blue Line observations.

Since the 5000s have come back, seeing less and less of the 2200s. Lots of 8 and 6 car 2600 strings. Also, have noticed a number of 2600 (2605-06 and 2619-2620) as well as a couple of 2800s running on the line (I assume from the Red).

Also one night last week after rush hour on the way home I saw a move of what looked like 10 2900s (mostly 2950s from what I could pick up) headed southbound south of Jeff Park. Don't know if it was just a terminal move from Rosemont to Forest Park or if they were headed to Skokie/Howard for something. Still see a lot of 2900s (2960-99) out there though.

[Busjack]

With regard to the 2900s, they were once Purple Line cars. Maybe someone explained here before how they ended up on the Blue, and what Purple got in return (if anything).

[ArcherRider]

With regard to the 2900s, they were once Purple Line cars. Maybe someone explained here before how they ended up on the Blue, and what Purple got in return (if anything).

Purple Line got 2531-2482 and 2533-2538 from the Green Line.

[i8itall4u]

Purple Line got 2531-2482 and 2533-2538 from the Green Line.

2531 was parked in 98th yard and 2533 was in an 8 car consist sb at 87th this morning.

[RJL6000]

2531 was parked in 98th yard and 2533 was in an 8 car consist sb at 87th this morning.

As I mentioned in another thread, some of the Green Line's 2400s have been reassigned to the Red Line for a couple of months now. That marked the beginning of the end for the 2400s as far as the Green Line is concerned as that line is slated to be re-equipped with 5000s some time later this month or early next month, after the Pink Line gets completely re-equipped with the new cars. And also, a few of the Purple Line's 2400s are now assigned to the Red Line, while some existing Red Line 2600s are now assigned to the Purple and Blue Lines. Therefore, the Red Line from this point until at least the end of the 2012 calendar year will be operated with a mix of 2400s and 2600s.

[Busjack]

Is this the right place?

...

By the way, Morgan Middle will be real busy when the new schedule goes in. I've heard that there will be a BIG increase in turning back road trains on the weekends, all day, and not just in the am. rush. More from the CTA later, probably.

DH

I take it you mean "last stop UIC-Halsted."

This doesn't hit me as that surprising, even though they made a big deal when they disconnected the Douglas that doing so would improve service on the Forest Park portion, in that the ridership reports indicate that half the load compared to the O'Hare branch was about correct

Oct. numbers:

O'Hare average weekday 86,000

Forest Park 37,000.

[Busjack]

"Last Stop UIC/Halsted".....Yes, but the new service is WEEKENDS.

DH

OK.

So, I guess that the comparable numbers are

O'Hare, Sat 52,000, Sun. 43,000.

Forest Park Sat 17,000, Sun 15,000

So, even a bigger discrepancy, about 3 to 1.

[mkohut]

OK.

So, I guess that the comparable numbers are

O'Hare, Sat 52,000, Sun. 43,000.

Forest Park Sat 17,000, Sun 15,000

So, even a bigger discrepancy, about 3 to 1.

The only way that is going to change is for another project that the CTA doen't have money for is extension to Oak Brook Terrace.

[Busjack]

The only way that is going to change is for another project that the CTA doen't have money for is extension to Oak Brook Terrace.

I guess you missed David's point is that the way that changes is to short turn certain weekend trains at UIC. The same degree of service isn't needed west of there.

[mkohut]

I guess you missed David's point is that the way that changes is to short turn certain weekend trains at UIC. The same degree of service isn't needed west of there.

I guess you can do it.

But,you can hear the people on it argue that they were promise more service when they were separate from the Douglas Branch.

[Busjack]

I guess you can do it.

But,you can hear the people on it argue that they were promise more service when they were separate from the Douglas Branch.

But given how things turned out on Lincoln and Wilson, and they figure is going to turn out on the budget, it isn't going to make much difference. Also, at the moment we have to take David's word for it, but so far no indication that they even have to call a hearing. CTA is certainly not going to listen to something in some community newspaper.

[mkohut]

But given how things turned out on Lincoln and Wilson, and they figure is going to turn out on the budget, it isn't going to make much difference. Also, at the moment we have to take David's word for it, but so far no indication that they even have to call a hearing. CTA is certainly not going to listen to something in some community newspaper.

You also have to keep in mind they are adding service Dec 16.Does it mean the entire Blue Line or just the O'Hare Branch

[Busjack]

You also have to keep in mind they are adding service Dec 16.Does it mean the entire Blue Line or just the O'Hare Branch

Indications are rush hour, while David said he was talking weekends.

Again, there hasn't been confirmation of this from official sources, but this would be consistent with moving resources to where there is demand. Some people have pointed out that up to now, CTA didn't say where the resources would be to add rush hour service on the L. This would be consistent with that, viewing the ridership numbers.

[Busjack]

Schedules are posted. Short turns on weekends too for the Blue Line.

David Harrison

Yes. Weekend daytime, about half turn back at UIC.

The thing I noted unchanged is that both the existing and advance schedules for the morning rush have about 1/3 of the "northbound" trains starting at UIC, with the southbound having 1/3 or 1/4 ending there, although it balances out as it is 8 short trips. I sort of remember that the UIC trips used to be late evening. Does anyone remember when the morning ones were instituted?

[See Tea Eh]

Yes. Weekend daytime, about half turn back at UIC.

The thing I noted unchanged is that both the existing and advance schedules for the morning rush have about 1/3 of the "northbound" trains starting at UIC, with the southbound having 1/3 or 1/4 ending there, although it balances out as it is 8 short trips. I sort of remember that the UIC trips used to be late evening. Does anyone remember when the morning ones were instituted?

I can't specifically remember, but I'm thinking it was either when the 54th/Cermak branch was finally cut, or it was when the slow zones on the Blue Line were so bad that they couldn't possibly spare enough equipment to run everything all the way through and still maintain a decent headway.

Either way, I want to say 2007/08 ish.

[artthouwill]

I can't specifically remember, but I'm thinking it was either when the 54th/Cermak branch was finally cut, or it was when the slow zones on the Blue Line were so bad that they couldn't possibly spare enough equipment to run everything all the way through and still maintain a decent headway.

Either way, I want to say 2007/08 ish.

Also if I remember correctly there were also short turns at Jefferson Park during the slow zone work

[artthouwill]

Yesterday I rode the Blue Line to Forest Park.  It seems now they are using the diamond crossover east of the station.  Trains are now loading on either side of the platform, as opposed to all trains pulling into the terminal on the north track and using the loop west of the station to go to the south track.  How long have they been doing this lately?  It wasn't this way last month.

I know they've done this before, but there used to be a terrible backup in rush hours waiting for a train to pull out so another could pull in.  It was midday when I was there so I don't know if they do this at all times or during off peak only.

[garmon757]

Yesterday I rode the Blue Line to Forest Park.  It seems now they are using the diamond crossover east of the station.  Trains are now loading on either side of the platform, as opposed to all trains pulling into the terminal on the north track and using the loop west of the station to go to the south track.  How long have they been doing this lately?  It wasn't this way last month.

I know they've done this before, but there used to be a terrible backup in rush hours waiting for a train to pull out so another could pull in.  It was midday when I was there so I don't know if they do this at all times or during off peak only.

They've been doing this for 7 years now before I graduated from high school.

[artthouwill]

They've been doing this for 7 years now before I graduated from high school.

Not consistently.  When I lived in the near Western suburbs I frequently used that station.  Even last month when I went through, all trains entered on the north track and used the loop to the eastbound track.  That operation was in use the day the runaway train slammed into a WB train at Harlem, the runaway train leaving the yard using the WB track. I know a few years ago they did use the diamond crossover consistently but like I stated, in rush hour that caused major backups for trains approaching Forest Park.  I have been on trains that sat for 15 minutes between Harlem and the station, which was why they reverted back to the old operation.   That experience occured at the tail end of rush hour so there were trains that had to go into the yard.

Yesterday the crossover worked quite well though midday intervals were about 10 minutes apart.  The funny thing was that I never saw any short turn trains at UIC=Halsted during the midday trips. 

 

[Pace831]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking awhile and finally got the urge to start posting. Now here's a question for the experts.

This morning around 7:45 I was at LaSalle Blue Line when a train of 2600s with Pink line signs came across the interlocking from the Dearborn subway and stopped on the O'Hare-bound track. They made everyone get off stayed there about 10 min until the operator walked to the other end, changed signs to O'Hare and opened doors. I boarded this train and while near Monroe I saw another train with pink line signs heading toward LaSalle.

Is this a normal move? I've never heard of this before. My guess was they couldn't short turn at UIC / Morgan middle for some reason so they ordered them to do it at LaSalle, and used "Loop" signs since no "LaSalle" sign is available.

heres a picture to prove I'm not crazy:

 

[peter.pyterek]

Weird

[Pace831]

http://www.transitchicago.com/travel_information/railstatus.aspx#310

Boarding Change, Delays Between Racine and Jackson 
Planned Work
Predictions Disabled Affects Train Tracker prediction availability (What's this?)
Blue Line trains will operate on the same track between Racine and Jackson, resulting in boarding changes and minor delays.
Fri, Sep 11 2015 10:00 PM to Sun, Sep 13 2015 6:00 AM

 

OK that makes sense, (missed the alert) except that a Forest Park train pulled in on its normal track while this one was just about to leave . Do SOME trains rather than ALL have a track change, or was the other train going to short turn as well ?Also what is the reason for using Pink Line signs?

[jtrosario]

 

The first time "Pink Loop" Blue Line turnbacks were used at La Salle was the 2nd weekend that IDOT and CTA coordinated single track usage for the West half of the Halsted bridge to be demolished, as part of the ongoing Jane Byrne/Circle Interchange Reconstruction Project. During the 1st weekend, UIC short-turns actually went to UIC helping to create a backlog of trains in both directions along the single track from LaSalle to UIC (approx - aka "between" Jackson and Racine)

Since then, CTA has been using La Salle as the turnback station for the scheduled UIC short-turns and using the "Pink Loop" signs to identify which trains are being turned around at La Salle. The people you saw that exit on the platform at La Salle from those trains going SB/WB would typically then get on the next Forest Park train arriving which would continue WB on the open single track. The trains to/from Forest Park will use the open track and the turn backs will use the closed track at La Salle station. From your description, the NB/EB track would not have been in use from West of UIC station to West of LaSalle station.

I've seen quite a few weekends where Pink Loop signs have been used on about every other SB Blue line train while driving the Kennedy Expressway, also train tracker will identify these with with a destination of "See Train" instead of UIC.

I don't know why there is a single track scheduled to be in use right now, it is not currently listed in CTA Customer Alerts. So what you saw could be related bridge demolition/construction for the Jane Byrne/Circle Interchange, track work, or something else. It seems as though short-turning UIC runs at La Salle is better use of single track space, as CTA has been doing this many times over the last several months.

(Edited out triple reply - its been a while since I've replied to anything)

(2nd Edit - trains to/from Forest park use the open track, not just Forest Park bound)

Hi everyone, I've been lurking awhile and finally got the urge to start posting. Now here's a question for the experts.

This morning around 7:45 I was at LaSalle Blue Line when a train of 2600s with Pink line signs came across the interlocking from the Dearborn subway and stopped on the O'Hare-bound track. They made everyone get off stayed there about 10 min until the operator walked to the other end, changed signs to O'Hare and opened doors. I boarded this train and while near Monroe I saw another train with pink line signs heading toward LaSalle.

Is this a normal move? I've never heard of this before. My guess was they couldn't short turn at UIC / Morgan middle for some reason so they ordered them to do it at LaSalle, and used "Loop" signs since no "LaSalle" sign is available.

heres a picture to prove I'm not crazy:

 

 

Edited September 13, 2015 by jtrosario

[Juniorz]

Most likely, they are doing trackwork at the UIC-Halsted turnback and those trips are being diverted to the Loop (via LaSalle crossover, hence the Pink Loop signs). This has been a normal practice for a couple of months during the weekend.

Southbound UIC-bound trains crossover to the Northbound tracks, announcing that all passengers must leave the train. For service to Forest Park, please board on the Forest Park side of the platform at LaSalle. Then the operator checks the train and goes back into revenue service to O'Hare.

These trips are designed to keep the frequency consistent on the Milwaukee-O'Hare segment on the Blue Line.

Historical Note: Between 1951 and June 21st, 1958 Logan Square-Loop trains would terminate at LaSalle (hence the crossover track). On June 22nd, 1958, all Logan Square trains were through routed to either Congress or Douglas, with LaSalle now becoming a through station instead of a stub terminal. 

[Tcmetro]

I was at UIC Halsted station on Saturday. Work on the new elevator required the inbound track to be closed.