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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn joined Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) representatives and other officials Oct. 17 to mark the reopening of the Red Line South following a five-month shutdown of service to renovate and modernize the line. The rebuilt rail line opened to the public Oct. 20.
“South Side riders now have a brand-new railroad, rebuilt from the ground up, that will provide a much more pleasant, comfortable, and reliable ride. It will provide a much quicker commute for the 80,000 riders who use the Red Line South on an average weekday,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool.
“The reconstruction of the Red Line South is an historic investment in both the Red Line—the backbone of the CTA rail system—as well as the many communities it serves on Chicago’s South Side,” the mayor said. “This brand-new railroad will provide faster and more comfortable commutes, and is an important step toward creating a 21st-century transit experience for commuters.”
CTA reconstructed the 10.2-mile line from the ground up through the $425 million project, including all rails, ties, ballast, drainage systems, and signaling equipment, and upgraded eight stations. These improvements are expected to trim the round-trip commute between 95th Street and downtown by up to 20 minutes.
“This historic project created more than 1,500 jobs and built a new Red Line that is faster, more efficient, and easier to use for tens of thousands of people who will ride on it every day,” Quinn said.
During the project, CTA provided the largest alternative-service plan in its history. Red Line South riders could travel on free shuttle buses, expanded bus service on regular routes, and Red Line trains running on Green Line tracks, as well as receiving a 50-cent discount on bus routes south of 63rd Street.
The agency noted that shutting down service condensed the work into five months and led to savings of $75 million compared with an alternative option to perform work only on weekends, which was estimated to take four years. CTA reinvested the $75 million it saved into new lighting, painting, Train Tracker screens, and other enhancements at stations along the line, and the agency added elevators to improve accessibility at three of the stations.
The Red Line South originally opened in 1969 and, according to CTA, had served beyond its expected lifespan.
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Greeting riders at CTA’s 95th/Dan Ryan Station on opening day of the rebuilt Red Line are, from left, Chicago Transit Board Chairman Terry Peterson, CTA President Forrest Claypool, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. |
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