7000-series - Delivery & Updates

[artthouwill]

35 minutes ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

There's something called cleaning.  And it makes the train look "new".  But yes sure.... let's scrap every dirty train on the Pink, Blue, Orange, Brown, Yellow, Purple, Red, and Green Lines and we'll be left with NOTHING!  Be grateful you have fast & reliable train service.  

It's WINTER.  Trains getting dirty is normal and it's a very easy fix.  Lucky for you, March and April are right around the corner and all rail cars will be washed on the inside and outside.  

This is a two part thing.  First,  you're correct in that it's winter and the elements will cause the trains to get dirty  (as well as the buses).  The Red and Blue Lines are most susceptible because they run in the median of expressways and also get dirt water and salt from the Expressway teaffic.

The other part concerns the interiors which get dirty from the snow, salt, that passengers track, leaving floors super dirty.  Then there's the well worn 2600 series cars with missing panels, worn and soiled seat inserts.  I didn't even mention the rolling hotels for the homeless oon the 24 hour lines.  Some of these cars need deep cleaning.   The smell of funk. urine, and feces doesn't go away easily.  Add to that synthetic weed. which smells like a skunk , and you have a problem. 

[rvwnsd]

14 hours ago, CTA5750 said:

They remind me of the 2000s  LOL!

Yep - me too. Looking forward to riding them on a future Chicago visit. As I've said before, not impressed with the 5000 series, esp that hideous light blue interior. Hoping these make up for it.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

6 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

Yep - me too. Looking forward to riding them on a future Chicago visit. As I've said before, not impressed with the 5000 series, esp that hideous light blue interior. Hoping these make up for it.

I’m probably going to get more naysayers towards me about this, but I’m happy I found someone who agrees with me on that blue interior. When they switched to the blue during the order I thought it looked absolutely terrible. Something about it just looks visually unappealing to my eyes. I’ve been used to the tan color since I started riding the CTA, and while it’s not the most updated look nowadays, the switch to all blue was definitely not a step forward. If they did it like the New Tech Trains in New York City that would have been better.

 

But now that the CTA and Bombardier have gotten all the issues with the 5000s sorted out, they seem to be doing well.

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said:

I’m probably going to get more naysayers towards me about this, but I’m happy I found someone who agrees with me on that blue interior. When they switched to the blue during the order I thought it looked absolutely terrible. Something about it just looks visually unappealing to my eyes. I’ve been used to the tan color since I started riding the CTA, and while it’s not the most updated look nowadays, the switch to all blue was definitely not a step forward. If they did it like the New Tech Trains in New York City that would have been better.

 

But now that the CTA and Bombardier have gotten all the issues with the 5000s sorted out, they seem to be doing well.

I watched a YouTube video of the new R211 cars going to New York.  These Tech cars seem to put CTA to shame, although we haven't seen the 7000s yet.  

Obviously I am not a fan of the sideways seating on the 5000s.  I'm not a fan of the Blue interiors either.  Would white or off white work on the 7000s?  They are on CTA buses (white).  

I was a fan of the blue lighting that was once on CTA buses 1630 - 1928 when those were first delivered to the CTA,  and I think that would look good in railcars.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

59 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

I watched a YouTube video of the new R211 cars going to New York.  These Tech cars seem to put CTA to shame, although we haven't seen the 7000s yet.  

Obviously I am not a fan of the sideways seating on the 5000s.  I'm not a fan of the Blue interiors either.  Would white or off white work on the 7000s?  They are on CTA buses (white).  

I was a fan of the blue lighting that was once on CTA buses 1630 - 1928 when those were first delivered to the CTA,  and I think that would look good in railcars.

The cars they already have are great too. I was there last weekend and I rode on both the R160s and R179s. Hopefully our 7000s will have a similar interior (but with the promised better seating) and better features for tourists to find things and make transfers. The FIND displays on the NTTs are very useful and they are easier to walk up to and see because there are three per car. I still have yet to see the lit map on the 5000s, and they have been on the system for years now...

[artthouwill]

2 minutes ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said:

The cars they already have are great too. I was there last weekend and I rode on both the R160s and R179s. Hopefully our 7000s will have a similar interior (but with the promised better seating) and better features for tourists to find things and make transfers. The FIND displays on the NTTs are very useful and they are easier to walk up to and see because there are three per car. I still have yet to see the lit map on the 5000s, and they have been on the system for years now...

The "lit" map on the 5000s are in the middle of the car, just above the destination sign.  It is a system map and there is a dot that lights up to indicate the next stop.

[Sam92]

5 minutes ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said:

The cars they already have are great too. I was there last weekend and I rode on both the R160s and R179s. Hopefully our 7000s will have a similar interior (but with the promised better seating) and better features for tourists to find things and make transfers. The FIND displays on the NTTs are very useful and they are easier to walk up to and see because there are three per car. I still have yet to see the lit map on the 5000s, and they have been on the system for years now...

You mean lit map as in red dot we've been had? ?

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

The "lit" map on the 5000s are in the middle of the car, just above the destination sign.  It is a system map and there is a dot that lights up to indicate the next stop.

Correct, though I’ve only seen pictures of it because of my riding habits. The problem in my opinion is that it’s in the middle of the car. I usually stand by the doors, or at the end of a car. In New York, the FIND displays are also in between the doors, but there are three in a car, and each car has four sets of doors on each side, so the chance of seeing a display is much greater. My other issue with the CTA’s implementation of the lit map is how it only lights up for where you are. In Hong Kong, not only are their lit maps above the doorways and easily visible like New York, but they display what station is next, the direction the train you’re on is traveling, any lines you can transfer to at the next station, and what side the doors will open on, and they don’t have any more tech in them than the CTA lit map, just more LEDs.

2 hours ago, Sam92 said:

You mean lit map as in red dot we've been had? ?

See above.

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said:

Correct, though I’ve only seen pictures of it because of my riding habits. The problem in my opinion is that it’s in the middle of the car. I usually stand by the doors, or at the end of a car. In New York, the FIND displays are also in between the doors, but there are three in a car, and each car has four sets of doors on each side, so the chance of seeing a display is much greater. My other issue with the CTA’s implementation of the lit map is how it only lights up for where you are. In Hong Kong, not only are their lit maps above the doorways and easily visible like New York, but they display what station is next, the direction the train you’re on is traveling, any lines you can transfer to at the next station, and what side the doors will open on, and they don’t have any more tech in them than the CTA lit map, just more LEDs.

See above.

The way CTA has it set up, line map is over doors 1 and 3 and a system map over doors 2 and 4.  Unfortunately,  unlike NY's R211s, none of these overhead door maps ARE LED.   Those line maps on the R211s are fantastic.   I even love the maps that display what car you are in and how many cars are on that train.

[Guest]

On 2/7/2020 at 6:32 PM, chicagocubs6323 said:

There's something called cleaning.  And it makes the train look "new".  But yes sure.... let's scrap every dirty train on the Pink, Blue, Orange, Brown, Yellow, Purple, Red, and Green Lines and we'll be left with NOTHING!  Be grateful you have fast & reliable train service.  

It's WINTER.  Trains getting dirty is normal and it's a very easy fix.  Lucky for you, March and April are right around the corner and all rail cars will be washed on the inside and outside.  

Youre missing my point!  No need for sarcasm! 

[chicagocubs6323]

4 hours ago, CTA5750 said:

Youre missing my point!  No need for sarcasm! 

I'm not being sarcastic though.  Well 1st part of the post yeah I was but in all seriousness though, all you're complaining about is the cleanliness of the trains.  What's your point if I'm missing it?

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

I'm not being sarcastic though.  Well 1st part of the post yeah I was but in all seriousness though, all you're complaining about is the cleanliness of the trains.  What's your point if I'm missing it?

I was referring to the lack of cleanliness on the 2600 series cars on the Blue Line  Thats all!  And, I wasant complaining as you claim!!! 

[NewFlyerMCI]

1 hour ago, CTA5750 said:

I was referring to the lack of cleanliness on the 2600 series cars on the Blue Line  Thats all!  And, I wasant complaining as you claim!!! 

Stating a fact doesn't also preclude you from complaining about something 

On 2/8/2020 at 1:00 PM, artthouwill said:

The way CTA has it set up, line map is over doors 1 and 3 and a system map over doors 2 and 4.  Unfortunately,  unlike NY's R211s, none of these overhead door maps ARE LED.   Those line maps on the R211s are fantastic.   I even love the maps that display what car you are in and how many cars are on that train.

Don't the stations light up on the map when the train is at that location for CTA? I think that's just as good, and some of the NYC MTA trains are like that (R142/A is coming to mind, I think). Not to mention the R211s aren't even in service yet

[Guest]

Just now, NewFlyerMCI said:

Stating a fact doesn't also preclude you from complaining about something 

Don't the stations light up on the map when the train is at that location for CTA? I think that's just as good, and some of the NYC MTA trains are like that (R142/A is coming to mind, I think). Not to mention the R211s aren't even in service yet

Ok. If you say so! ....... Anyway!!! 

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

Don't the stations light up on the map when the train is at that location for CTA? I think that's just as good, and some of the NYC MTA trains are like that (R142/A is coming to mind, I think). Not to mention the R211s aren't even in service yet

He was referring to the printed maps above the doorways, not the lit map in the center of the car, though I think the maps above the doorways should be lit too. And yes, the R142s, R142As, R143s, and R188s use similar setups, where a single line has LEDs in its map. However unlike the cars with the FIND displays, the cars with the LED strip maps aren’t moved around from line to line frequently, or they don’t run the risk of being rerouted onto another line due to service disruptions, with the exception of the 2 and 5 services. In cars that are used on those services, the LED strip maps are printed with both lines on it, similar to how Howard cars here have Red, Purple, and Yellow Lines on one route card.

Regardless of the service status of the R211s, they are going to have enhanced FIND displays, so they’re still relevant.

[monsieurmétro]

The only problem that I see with those displays are that they seem really difficult to change when the lines change, particularly when new stations are added or removed to one or more lines. I've seen the Purple Line use the Red Line's LED for Wilson Station as they appear to have not added an LED for the Purple Line there yet (this may be old info). Weren't the 7000s supposed to have LCD screens or something like that?

[Reggie Redd]

Are they test running the trains this month

[John7]

On 3/1/2020 at 1:46 PM, Reggie Redd said:

Are they test running the trains this month

There's no word yet. Expect to see them testing at Skokie yard or on the orange line.

[Reggie Redd]

With the coronavirus going on is it going to delay the car shells from crrc ( china ) and if so how long?

[chicagocubs6323]

5 hours ago, Reggie Redd said:

With the coronavirus going on is it going to delay the car shells from crrc ( china ) and if so how long?

No one has the answer to that, unfortunately.  But the 7000s are delayed until late 2020 according to someone I spoke to 

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

On 3/21/2020 at 6:45 PM, chicagocubs6323 said:

...But the 7000s are delayed until late 2020 according to someone I spoke to 

I had already started to suspect the prototypes were delayed and thus the entire program schedule will be delayed, even before the current epidemic (but that doesn’t help either!). When you had the video up of them testing at the Chicago plant, I remembered reading that the prototypes were supposed to be delivered to CTA by October, but maybe things changed.

When your source told you about the delay, were they referring to the prototypes or the production units?

[chicagocubs6323]

11 hours ago, MTRSP1900-CTA3200 said:

I had already started to suspect the prototypes were delayed and thus the entire program schedule will be delayed, even before the current epidemic (but that doesn’t help either!). When you had the video up of them testing at the Chicago plant, I remembered reading that the prototypes were supposed to be delivered to CTA by October, but maybe things changed.

When your source told you about the delay, were they referring to the prototypes or the production units?

Prototypes.  Of course production units start coming in after testing of the prototypes.  

[Mr.cta85]

No updated news on the 7000’s yet huh? 

[chitowndude84]

On 4/25/2020 at 12:50 PM, Mr.cta85 said:

No updated news on the 7000’s yet huh? 

 

Probably "Social Distancing" at the factory with skeleton crew? ??  But wild guess, Things probably getting "Complicated" since parent company is from China ??

 

Dave

[BusHunter]

The last report in the media from them was an accusation by an NBC reporter claiming they were violating child labor laws. The CTA was so concerned by this they asked for an explanation from company officials.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2019/12/5/20997629/cta-chinese-child-labor-mica-mining-l-train-cars-crrc-sifang-madagascar

There is also a bru haha over the notion that the makers are from Beijing and they are a Chinese manufacturer. The US government is trying to block the Chinese from manufacturing here in an attempt to take away Asian enterprise from ruining American enterprise. It doesn't affect the chicago contract but the Feds may try to block them from building other things there making them essentially go out of business.

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3034335/us-sees-chinese-state-owned-rail-company-crrc