5000-series - Updates

[New Flyer]

• What a sight tonite 5202-03-04-05-06-07 making up a redline train

[Busjack]

• What a sight tonite 5202-03-04-05-06-07 making up a redline train

Except, of course, that 5202 would be paired with 5201 unless something strange happened. The series started with 5001.

[owine]

5203-5204 and 5205-5206 are in service today on the Red Line. That brings the Red Line up to 80 5000-series cars. BTW, has anyone seen 5009-5010? I'm just curious if that large cta logo is on them.

5009-5010 on the red line this morning without the CTA wrapping.

[SamRoman]

Brown Line will not get the 5000's. After Red, it will be Orange, Purple and Yellow. Brown and Blue will be the two lines without 5000's. The 5000's on the Brown this week is due to Wells St Bridge Construction and the Red Line is using all its extra equipment ...including the 5000's to help the Brown Line out.

Are the 5000 series going to run on the Purple Line Express too or just the Local Purple Line.

[jajuan]

Are the 5000 series going to run on the Purple Line Express too or just the Local Purple Line.

It would make sense that they would be run on both Purple Line Express and Purple Line local shuttle. They're both the same line. The only difference is that the trains run into the downtown area during times of service for the Express.

[jtrosario]

The plan has changed somewhat for the 5000s: Compared to the original plan (which called for six of the eight lines to be completely equipped with 5000s once the deliveries of all 714 cars is completed), it seems as though even 714 cars would not be quite enough to accommodate such a planned fleet expansion. In fact, completely equipping those six lines with 5000s would barely maintain the fleet amount at the pre-5000-series-delivery levels. Thus, the current plan is to have only the Pink and Yellow lines entirely equipped with 5000s, while the Green, Orange, Purple and Red Lines will retain a small amount of DC-propulsion equipment in addition to the 5000s.

That makes some sense. If the other 5 of the 6 lines had been equipped with 5000s at current levels, then the Orange line would have been left with 52 5000s and 88 3200s. (with 3200s on Brown and 2600s on Blue)

And as much as I was transit-raised on the Blue line and rode the 2200s and 2600s when they were new on that line, there doesn't seem to be any combination that will see 5000s (or 3200s realistically) on the Blue line. The best for say, later this year, until the next order of 7000s appear years from now, will be all 2600s on the Blue line. **(After reviewing, Blue may have 96 3200s and 254 2600s by the end of 2014)

To me, at current "L" roster levels and upon delivery of all 714 5000s, if the Blue line has 350 2600s assigned to it, it doesn't seem realistic to swap 88 3200s that would be dispersed among Green, Orange, Purple, and Red to Blue and have 88 of Blue's 2600s go to Green, Orange, Purple, and Red. It would seem easier from a maintenance perspective to keep all of the 2600s on one line, much like all of the remaining 2200s are currently on one line. **(Although this paragraph stands, after reviewing, it looks more like the 2600s will be distributed among all lines except Pink and Yellow with the majority remaining on Blue and Blue getting 96 3200s)

So, just a guess here that the small amount DC-propulsion equipment on the Green, Orange, Purple, and Red lines will be 3200s **(change to 2600s). (I'll post separately as to how things currently add up that way from an Armchair quarterback's perspective)

**My viewpoint has changed since the original post.

[jtrosario]

Here's an armchair quarterback's perspective of potential series 5000 deliveries. This is put together to have some perspective of "L" rosters during and after 5000 deliveries and to have some idea when the 2200s and 2400s will be completely retired. There are many possible holes in this theory including assumptions listed below. So take it or leave it. (Even gave the set-up for snappy comebacks)

Assumption #1: The line rosters leading up to and including 3/14/13 represent the same number of cars as the 5000s continue being delivered.

Assumption #2: Brown keeps the same 3200s and Blue gets 2200s replaced with 2600s. Blue eventually receives all remaining 3200s not assigned to Brown (change of view since previous post)

Assumption #3: Post #1950 by RJL6000 is accurate and continues to be accurate throughout the remaining deliveries, meaning that 5000s are assigned in this order: Red, Purple, Yellow, Orange

Assumption #4: The dispersment of DC-propulsion equipment from Assumption #3 is a somewhat even amount of 2600s among Purple, Orange, Green, and Red (change of view since previous post)

Assumption #5: No 3200 or 5000 cars are long-term damaged or unusable during *future* 5000 deliveries. (corrected to reflect 3351-3352, already out-of-service)

Assumption #6: Bombadier is manufacturing one 5000 car per day.

Assumption #7: There is some type of relationship between manufacturing 1 car a day, through the pipeline of delivery, acceptance and assignment to lines, and that there are current cars in this process as well.

Assumption #8: 208 cars have been delivered and assigned so far (Car 5208) and that there are 506 cars to still go though the manufacturing to assignment process

Assumption #9: Deliveries of 5000s are going to Green, Red, Purple, Yellow, and Orange in that order with some priority over retiring Red's existing 2400s and some Green 2400s, with 2200s then having retirement priority over 2400s (there's a lot of play on this one, for instance the Red South reroute/shutdown this summer)

Potential 5000 deliveries:

Next 8 go to Red, retiring Red's remaining 2400s (3/22/13)

Milestone: 2400s retired on Red

Next 14 go to Green, retiring 14 of Green's 2400s, leaving 24 2400s there (4/5/13)

Milestone: 5000s for Green assigned

Next 68 go to Red, moving 68 2600s to Blue, retiring Blue's remaining 2200s (6/12/13)

Milestone: ALL 2200s retired

Next 46 go to Red, moving 46 2600s to Orange, retiring Orange's remaining 2400s (7/28/13)

Milestone: 2400s retired on Orange

Next 98 go to Red, moving 98 2600s to Purple, retiring Purple's 2400s (11/03/13)

Milestone: 2400s retired on Purple

Next 24 go to Red, moving 24 2600s to Green, retiring Green's remaining 2400s (11/27/13)

Milestone: ALL 2400s retired/Green consists of 88 5000s and 24 2600s

Next 42 go to Red, placing 42 2600s in storage/retirement, leaving 24 2600s there (1/8/14)

Milestone: 5000s for Red assigned, Red consists of 374 5000s and 24 2600s

Next 74 go to Purple, placing 74 2600s in storage/retirement, leaving 24 2600s there (3/23/14)

Milestone: 5000s for Purple assigned, Purple consists of 74 5000s and 24 2600s

Next 6 go to Yellow, placing 6 2600s in storage/retirement (3/29/14)

Milestone: 5000s for Yellow assigned, Yellow consists of 6 5000s

Next 30 go to Orange, placing 30 2600s in storage/retirement (4/28/14)

Next 96 go to Orange, moving 96 3200s to Blue, placing 96(Blue)2600s in storage/retirement (8/2/14)

Milestone: 5000s for Orange assigned, Orange consists of 126 5000s and 16 2600s(corrected)

Milestone: 3200s for Blue assigned, Blue consists of 96 3200s and 254 2600s

Again, the above theory is based on various posts and/or news releases and is not an official schedule.

[sw4400]

Here's an armchair quarterback's perspective of potential series 5000 deliveries. This is put together to have some perspective of "L" rosters during and after 5000 deliveries and to have some idea when the 2200s and 2400s will be completely retired. There are many possible holes in this theory including assumptions listed below. So take it or leave it. (Even gave the set-up for snappy comebacks)

Assumption #5: No 3200 or 5000 cars are long-term damaged or unusable during 5000 deliveries.

3351-3352 have been out of service and most likely retired since the accident at Kedzie where they derailed and damaged the platform.

Photo(© Ryanbytes)

[BusHunter]

The plan has changed somewhat for the 5000s: Compared to the original plan (which called for six of the eight lines to be completely equipped with 5000s once the deliveries of all 714 cars is completed), it seems as though even 714 cars would not be quite enough to accommodate such a planned fleet expansion. In fact, completely equipping those six lines with 5000s would barely maintain the fleet amount at the pre-5000-series-delivery levels. Thus, the current plan is to have only the Pink and Yellow lines entirely equipped with 5000s, while the Green, Orange, Purple and Red Lines will retain a small amount of DC-propulsion equipment in addition to the 5000s.

If you look at the "L" rosters and use the Green line as a guide, CTA is basically equipping that line with 75 percent #5000's and the rest older cars. If they did the same with the other proposed #5000 lines, they would still have 113 cars left over. That would be enough to give the Brown line a 75 percent share. I think their going to try and get the #5000's on most of the lines. We might even see some on the Blue line if you figure the Orange line right now has about 50 extra cars. Overall this would seem to make sense. In the long run it's hard to imagine a full set of older cars running on a 24 hour service line (like the blue line) without causing too many equipment headaches because the cars are old. This way they can try to keep the older cars use to a minimum and save the agency some money.

[BusHunter]

3351-3352 have been out of service and most likely retired since the accident at Kedzie where they derailed and damaged the platform.

Photo(© Ryanbytes)

For that matter I haven't seen #3435-36 either. Those were the ones involved in the Kedzie crossing accident last summer with the unmarked police car. I know they had under carriage damage because the car drove up under the side of the railcar. CTA had to use a wrecker to get the train back in place on the tracks.

[chgofan78]

5213-5214-5215-5216 are sitting in Howard yard today. Also, 5137-5138 and 5151-5152 have made their way to the Red Line from the Pink Line.

[artthouwill]

That's most likely because there is no room to store those at Kimball. They have all the usual #3200's stored there, the ones that have working Roosevelt signs and ones that don't. Obviously Midway has the extra space, which was stated before as the destination yard of the transfer. All those cars should go back after this week, it's just a question of will they be back in April? As far as equipment shortages, now the Red line is more heavily dependent on older equipment (#2400's) which is more likely to fail. That may explain why there's service delays.

Today 3311 & 3312 are part of an 8 car consist on the Orange Line.

[eyetube21]

I just spotted #5011-12 on the Pink Line came from the Red Line.

[New Flyer]

3000's on the Red Line

3019-20 3157-60 3197-98

3049-50 3163-64

3053-54 3169-70

3059-60 3173-74

3085-86 3179-82

3099-00 3187-90

3105-06 3193-94

[chgofan78]

I just spotted #5011-12 on the Pink Line came from the Red Line.

[artthouwill]

It looks like 5001 through 5044 are on the Pink Line, 5045 through about 5148 are on the Green Line, and around 5149 & up are Red Line. It appears that the shuffling with these cars are about over and there are some consistencies with the car numbers on each line.

[eyetube21]

It looks like 5001 through 5044 are on the Pink Line, 5045 through about 5148 are on the Green Line, and around 5149 & up are Red Line. It appears that the shuffling with these cars are about over and there are some consistencies with the car numbers on each line.

I did seen 5000s prototypes #5003-12 on the Pink Line today.

[BusHunter]

It looks like 5001 through 5044 are on the Pink Line, 5045 through about 5148 are on the Green Line, and around 5149 & up are Red Line. It appears that the shuffling with these cars are about over and there are some consistencies with the car numbers on each line.

There are a few cars not in sequence still floating around. #5021-22, #5031-34, #5037-38, #5043-44, #5135-36 are on the Green line still, but for the most part your correct.

[RJL6000]

Now that the Red Line has received a sufficient number of 5000s to cover base (overnight) service on that line, the equipment assignments are now beginning to resemble sequential block assignments. It also (truly) means the beginning of the end for the 2400s. The assignments of future deliveries will now be in truly sequential blocks (for the most part).

[Busjack]

Now that the Red Line has received a sufficient number of 5000s to cover base (overnight) service on that line, the equipment assignments are now beginning to resemble sequential block assignments. It also (truly) means the beginning of the end for the 2400s. The assignments of future deliveries will now be in truly sequential blocks (for the most part).

Undoubtedly because of the prior reports that the prior allocation reflected allocating all [then 706] cars, but the current indications are fleet growth and retaining 400 2600s pending the 7000s, the Red Line will be the only line to get any in the conceivable future. Maybe then some to the Orange.

I said before it made no sense to put new cars on the Purple and none on Blue and Brown, when maybe 76 of 88 cars sit in the yards except for rush hour weekdays.

[nflyer22]

I rode 5144 earlier today on the Red Line coming home from an errand. It still had Green Line cards above the door. In the same consist were 5213-5214.

[BusHunter]

3000's on the Red Line

3019-20 3157-60 3197-98

3049-50 3163-64

3053-54 3169-70

3059-60 3179-82

3099-00 3187-90

3105-06 3193-94

#3179-80 is on the Blue line.

[SamRoman]

Are the 3200's that are on the Orange Line being transfered to the Blue Line

[SamRoman]

I thought the 5000 Series on the next 3 lines in 2013

[Amtrak41]

When Yellow, Purple, and Red are universally 5000's, will there be any distinction as to which block of cars run on specific routes ?