Pink Line (CTA)

Pink Line
350 px A westbound Pink Line train sitting at Library – State/Van Buren
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago 'L'
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago and Cicero, Illinois, USA
Termini	54th/Cermak The Loop
Stations	22
Daily ridership	33,737 (avg. weekday September 2012)
Operation
Opened	June 25, 2006
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority
Character	Elevated and Street Level
Rolling stock	5000-series
Technical
Line length	11.2 mi (18.0 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Minimum radius	90 feet (27 m)
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Legend   Madison/ Wabash Randolph/ Wabash x20px x20px x20px File:BSicon exlBHF pink.svg x20px x20px x20px x20px Adams/ Wabash State/Lake x20px File:BSicon hINT pink.svg x20px File:BSicon tINTACCq red.svg File:BSicon hINTACC pink.svg x20px Library x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px File:BSicon tINTACCq blue.svg File:BSicon hSTR pink.svg Clark/Lake x20px x20px Blue Line x20px x20px x20px LaSalle/ Van Buren Washington/ Wells File:BSicon ABZrg pink.svg x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px Quincy File:BSicon tSTR green.svg x20px Chicago River UP-N UP-NW UP-W File:BSicon hSTR pink.svg File:BSicon tSTR green.svg Ogilvie T’n Center Clinton File:BSicon tINTACC green.svg x20px Morgan File:BSicon tACC green.svg x20px x20px Ashland File:BSicon tINTACC green.svg x20px x20px Green Line to Harlem/Lake File:BSicon STR pink.svg File:BSicon tSTRrf green.svg x20px x20px File:BSicon hSTR pink.svg x20px x20px x20px x20px Blue Line x20px File:BSicon STRr+1 blue.svg File:BSicon exhABZrg blue.svg File:BSicon STR pink.svg File:BSicon exdSTRq blue.svg x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px x20px Polk x20px File:BSicon hSTR pink.svg BNSF 18th x20px Damen x20px Western x20px California File:BSicon hACC pink.svg File:BSicon hSTR pink.svg Kedzie File:BSicon hACC pink.svg BNSF Central Park x20px Pulaski x20px Kostner File:BSicon ACC pink.svg Chicago Cicero x20px Cicero x20px Laramie x20px 54th/Cermak x20px

The Pink Line is an 11.2 mi (18.0 km) rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It is CTA's latest rail line and began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago. The route to the Loop follows tracks shared with Green Line trains on Lake Street, connected by the previously non-revenue Paulina Connector. In September 2012, the average weekday boardings on the Pink Line was 33,737. The Pink Line does not make any 'L' train transfers on the Douglas Branch. The Pink Line operates between 54th/Cermak and the Loop, weekdays from 4:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 5:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m.

Initial proposal

Northward view from the Adams/Wabash station at night

Chicago Transit Authority control tower 18 guides elevated Chicago 'L' north and southbound Purple and Brown lines intersecting with east and westbound Pink and Green lines and the looping Orange line above the Wells and Lake street intersection in the loop

Pink and Green line elevated tracks crossing Franklin Street in the Loop

The Lake Street Elevated bridge over the Chicago River at night

In January 2005, the CTA held hearings on its proposal to reroute trains from 54th/Cermak via the recently rebuilt Paulina Connector to the Lake Street Green Line tracks, then operating around the Loop clockwise for the first time since Douglas trains began using the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway in downtown Chicago on June 22, 1958. This would allow a doubling of Blue Line trains to Forest Park on the Congress Line, since service would no longer be divided between the Forest Park and 54th/Cermak terminals. The CTA has also promised that service to/from 54th/Cermak would be increased 100% during weekday rush hours.

At the initial time of proposal, this plan was often referred to as the "Silver Line," as the original idea was to use grey as the line color on printed materials and give it the friendlier route name of "Silver."

On February 15, 2006, the CTA approved the separate plan. Non-rush hour trains would be routed via the Loop, Green Line tracks and Paulina Connector. During weekday rush hours, service would be available on this routing as well as the original route via the Dearborn Street Subway every half hour. These changes went into effect beginning June 25, 2006, with the initial trial period scheduled to conclude 180 days later on December 22, 2006.

Operation

As the Blue Line Douglas Branch

Originally, Douglas trains were operated by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated directly into the Loop by means of the Metropolitan's main line. Construction of the Congress Street Superhighway (known now as the Eisenhower Expressway, I-290) in the 1950s required the removal of the Metropolitan's main line, resulting in Douglas trains being routed to the Loop via the Paulina Connector and the Lake Street "L" in very similar fashion to the present service. Upon completion of the new Congress branch in the median of the expressway, all trains of the Douglas branch were operated via the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway to the city's Northwest Side and to O'Hare Airport. The entire Douglas Branch is ADA accessible.

Converting to the Pink Line

On March 30, 2006, the Chicago Transit Authority announced that of the top three colors, Pink, Gold and Silver, Pink had received the most votes in a write-in essay contest for Chicago-area schoolchildren in kindergarten through 8th grade—a $1,000 savings bond was awarded to a selected essay writer who advocated the color pink.

The Pink Line began operation on June 25, 2006, using the rebuilt Paulina Connector which had not been used in regular revenue service for 50 years.

The service, which was originally set up as a temporary service to be run for a trial period of 180 days (6 months), doubles service on both the Douglas branch and the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line. This is accomplished by routing all but 12 trains per day coming from O'Hare to Forest Park and adding entirely new service from the 54th/Cermak terminal in Cicero to the Loop via the Paulina Connector and the Lake Street branch of the Green Line. Pink Line trains operate clockwise on the Inner Loop track via Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells before returning to 54th/Cermak.

On December 12, 2006, the CTA board approved a six-month extension to the trial period before making a decision on whether or not to make the changes permanent, and another 180-day extension was added to the trial in June 2007. On December 4, 2008, CTA announced its decision to make the Pink Line permanent.

Current routing

On the Pink Line, what was once the Blue Line's Douglas branch begins at 54th Avenue and Cermak Road in Cicero (5400 W. - 2200 S.). The line runs east on street level right-of-way just north of and parallel to Cermak Road from the terminal to about a quarter-mile (400 m) east of Cicero Avenue, then diagonals northeast until it reaches a corridor parallel and adjacent to 21st Street at Kostner Avenue. It then continues east between 21st Street and Cullerton Street, climbing up from surface level to elevated structure, through the North Lawndale, Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods of Chicago, with stops at Kostner, Pulaski, Central Park, Kedzie, California, Western and Damen. The line turns north near Paulina Street stopping at 18th and Polk stations, then crosses over the Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290). Here, a two track non-revenue branch diverges that descends to the expressway to provide a non-revenue track connection to the Blue Line. It continues on the Paulina Connector to share tracks with the Green Line on Lake Street with stops at Ashland, Morgan and Clinton, before operating around the Loop clockwise.

Rolling stock

Currently, the Pink Line is operated using the Bombardier-built 5000-series railcars. Trains run using four cars during weekdays and on weekends. 54th Yard does occasionally send out six-car trains during rush hour, but this only occurs when there are extra cars in the yard. Occasionally, the Pink Line may borrow cars from the Green Line when short on cars. The 5000-series cars returned to the Pink Line on May 7, 2012. At the time of their reintroduction, all Pink Line consists using 5000-series cars were six cars long. As of mid-August 2012, the Pink Line was using 5000-series cars in four and six-car consists and with the successful testing of the Pink Line 5000-series cars in four-car consists during August, the Pink Line reverted to running four-car trains during most times of the day (with some of the 5000-series cars that had been assigned to the line, were reassigned to the Green Line). The last 2600-series cars were removed from service from the Pink Line on June 8, 2012, making the Pink Line the first line to be fully equipped with the 5000-series cars. Most of the Pink Line's 2600-series cars were reassigned to the Blue Line to replace its 2200-series cars.

Possible route to Ravenswood

In 2002, the CTA proposed the creation of the "Circle Line", which would utilize segments of existing rail lines to keep new construction to a minimum, in addition to 6.6 miles (10.6 km) of new subway and elevated segments to the 'L' system to complete the circumferential route. Maps additionally suggested a possible extension of the existing Brown Line beyond the Loop to 54th/Cermak via the Green Line and the Paulina Connector, and Orange Line service from Chicago Midway International Airport to Kimball, as other potential routings using the new infrastructure. This project is currently undergoing a standard federally mandated alternatives analysis.

Station listing

Chicago Transit Authority Chicago 'L' route map

Pink Line (Cermak "Douglas" Branch)
Station	Location	Transfers	Points of interest and notes
54th/Cermak	2151 S. 54th Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	—	Morton College, Chicago Motor Speedway, Morton East High School, Unity Junior High School Auxiliary entrance at Laramie Avenue
Cicero	2134 S. Cicero Avenue, Cicero, Illinois		Cicero, Hawthorne Works
Kostner	2019 S. Kostner Avenue	—	Hawthorne Race Course, Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame Formerly known as Kildare (one block east of Kostner) until 2002; became Kostner July 17, 2003 and Kildare was converted into an auxiliary entrance
Pulaski	2021 S. Pulaski Road	—	North Lawndale, Homan Square
Central Park	1944 S. Central Park Avenue	—	South Lawndale, Little Village
Kedzie	1944 S. Kedzie Avenue	—	Douglas Park, Our Lady of Tepeyac High School, WRLL Radio Station
California	2010 S. California Avenue	—	Douglas Park, Cook County Jail, Little Village, Mount Sinai Medical Center
Western	2010 S. Western Avenue		Heart of Chicago, Heart of Italy, St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran School Transfer to Metra trains at Western Avenue
Damen	2010 S. Damen Avenue	—	Lower West Side, Chicago International Produce Market, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Formerly known as Hoyne (one block west of Damen) until 2002; became Damen on July 22, 2004 and Hoyne was converted into an auxiliary entrance
18th	1710 W. 18th Street	—	Pilsen, St. Adalbert's, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
Polk	1713 W. Polk Street	—	Illinois Medical District, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush University, Rush University Medical Center, Little Italy
Pink Line (Lake Street Elevated)
Station	Location	Transfers	Points of interest and notes
Ashland	1601 W. Lake Street	Green Line	Near West Side, United Center, Jackson Boulevard District and Extension, Groesbeck House
Morgan	958 W. Lake Street	—	UIC, Harpo Studios, Greektown, Coyne College, Fulton Market District
Clinton	540 W. Lake Street	—	Ogilvie Transportation Center, Chicago Transit Authority Headquarters
Pink Line (Loop)
Station	Location	Transfers	Points of interest and notes
Clark/Lake	100 W. Lake Street	Blue Line      Brown Line      Green Line      Orange Line      Purple Line	James R. Thompson Center, Richard J. Daley Center Transfer to Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, and Purple Line trains
State/Lake	200 N. State Street	Red Line (via Lake)	Chicago Theatre, Gene Siskel Film Center, Harold Washington College Transfer station for Red Line via Lake
Randolph/Wabash	151 N. Wabash Avenue		Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park
Washington/Wabash	TBD	—	Consolidation of Madison/Wabash and Randolph/Wabash scheduled to open in 2017
Madison/Wabash	2 N. Wabash Avenue	—	Closed March 16, 2015
Adams/Wabash	201-23 S. Wabash Avenue	Green Line      Orange Line	Grant Park, Petrillo Music Shell, Buckingham Fountain, Art Institute of Chicago, Orchestra Hall, DePaul University
Harold Washington Library–State/Van Buren	1 W. Van Buren Street	Brown Line      Orange Line      Purple Line      Red Line (via Jackson/State)      Blue Line (via Jackson/Dearborn)	Harold Washington Library Center, DePaul University, Robert Morris University, John Marshall Law School, Chicago Bar Association and The Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University
LaSalle/Van Buren	121 W. Van Buren Street		Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Board Options Exchange
Quincy	220 S. Wells Street		Willis Tower Transfer station for Amtrak trains
Washington/Wells	100 N. Wells Street	Brown Line      Purple Line	Chicago City Hall, Civic Opera House, Chicago Mercantile Exchange

After stopping at Washington/Wells, Pink Line trains return to Clinton, then make all stops back to 54th/Cermak.

See also

• Douglas Branch

External links

• Pink Line at Chicago-L.org
• CTA Selects Winning Essay of Name the Line Contest - CTA Press Release on the Pink line