red and purple line

[jor23dan]

Im moving to Chicago in the summer so ive been familiarizing myself with the CTA. I was wondering why the CTA doesnt streamline service by cancelling the purple line and have the red line operate to linden? Again Im not from the area so if there are reasons that wouldnt be possible please tell me.

[Busjack]

Some of the reasons are historic (but if history controls, the Red Line would end at Wilson), but there are rational operating reasons. The main part of the Red Line needs 8 car trains most of the time to meet capacity requirements, but you don't need that type of capacity north of Howard. Other than rush hour, a 2 or 4 car train is sufficient (when the green PCC cars were around, 1 car trains ran in Evanston). The main turn around track is also at Howard (there is only a 2 track stub, with one lead into the Linden yard at Linden). Most of the platforms north of Howard are long enough only for 6 car trains, and some of the platform extensions (such as at Foster in Evanston) have been demolished (the girders are there, but not the concrete).

The Evanston Express has always been a lighter route (5 or 6 cars). Also, the Evanston Express was more express before it started making the local stops south of Belmont (and previously charged an extra fare to ride express south of Howard). Now the justification for keeping the Red and Purple lines separate is that the stations south of Belmont needed more train capacity than what was provided only by the Ravenswood (Brown Line). However, the projected cutback due to going from 4 to 3 tracks on the North Side Main from approximately Addison south puts a fork into the last rationale.

In the old days, predecessor companies would have coupled and uncoupled cars en route (i.e. Niles Center--later Skokie--now Yellow Line cars would couple to Evanston ones). While there is some yap about Yellow Line cars going downtown if the Old Orchard extension is completed, I can't see that.

You certainly don't have that situation at the south end of the Red Line, where 95th has the most boardings.