Pink Line (CTA)

Pink Line
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	23
Daily ridership	33,737 (avg. weekday September 2012)
Operation
Opening	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) (35 minutes)
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 54th/Cermak Cicero Kostner Pulaski Central Park Kedzie California Western Damen 18th Polk Paulina Connector Ashland Morgan Clinton The Loop (clockwise) Map Legend Transfer to Green Line Permanently closed station ADA accessible station Parking Transfer to Metra Trains

The Pink Line is a 11.2 mi (18.0 km) (35-minute ride) 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.

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.

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.^[1]

The Pink Line began operation on June 25, 2006, using the rebuilt Paulina Connector which had not been used in regular revenue service for nearly 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,^[2] and another 180-day extension was added to the trial in June 2007.^[3] On December 4, 2008, CTA announced its decision to make the Pink Line permanent.

Current routing

On the Pink Line, what was once the 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.

Operating fleet

Currently, the Pink Line is operated using the new Bombardier-built 5000-series rail cars. Trains usually consists of only four cars during much of the day, and only two cars during late evenings 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. 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).

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	Points of interest and notes
Oak Park	Oak Park Avenue and 22nd Street	Closed February 3, 1952
Ridgeland	Ridgeland Avenue and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
Lombard	Lombard Avenue and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
Austin	Austin Boulevard and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
58th Avenue	58th Avenue and 21st Street	Closed February 3, 1952
Central	Central Avenue and Cermak Road	Closed February 3, 1952
54th/Cermak	2151 S. 54th Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Morton College, Chicago Motor Speedway, Morton East High School Auxiliary entrance at Laramie Avenue
Laramie	2130 S. Laramie Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Closed February 9, 1992; reopened in December 2001 during Douglas Branch renovation and closed on August 16, 2003
50th Avenue	2133 S. 50th Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Closed 1978; deconstructed, removed, and preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum
Cicero	2134 S. Cicero Avenue, Cicero, Illinois	Cicero, Hawthorne Works Transfer to Metra trains at Cicero
Kenton	Cermak Road west of Kilbourn Avenue	Closed December 9, 1951
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
Lawndale	Lawndale Avenue and 21st Street	Closed December 9, 1951
Central Park	1944 S. Central Park Avenue	South Lawndale, Little Village
Drake	Drake Avenue and 21st Street	Closed December 9, 1951
Homan	Homan Avenue and 21st Street	Closed December 9, 1951
Kedzie	1944 S. Kedzie Avenue	Douglas Park, Our Lady of Tepeyac High School, WRLL Radio Station
Douglas Park	2008 S. Marshall Boulevard	Closed May 3, 1952
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
Wood	Wood Street and 21st Street	Closed May 19, 1957
18th	1710 W. 18th Street	Pilsen, St. Adalbert's, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
14th Place	14th Place and Paulina Street	Closed December 9, 1951
Roosevelt	Roosevelt Road and Paulina Street	Closed May 3, 1952
Polk	1713 W. Polk Street	Illinois Medical District, University of Illinois at Chicago, Rush University, Rush University Medical Center, Little Italy
Pink Line (Paulina Connector)
Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
Madison	1720 W. Madison Street	Closed February 25, 1951
Pink Line (Lake Street Elevated)
Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
Ashland	1601 W. Lake Street	Near West Side, Jackson Boulevard District and Extension, Groesbeck House Transfer to Green Line trains
Morgan	958 W. Lake Street	UIC, Harpo Studios, Greektown, Coyne College, Fulton Market District
Clinton	540 W. Lake Street	Ogilvie Transportation Center and Chicago Transit Authority Headquarters
Pink Line (Loop)
Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
Clark/Lake	100 W. Lake Street	James R. Thompson Center, Richard J. Daley Center Transfer to Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, and Purple Line trains
State/Lake	200 N. State Street	Chicago Theatre, Gene Siskel Film Center Transfer station for Red Line via Lake
Randolph/Wabash	151 N. Wabash Avenue	Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park Transfer station for Millennium Station (Metra Electric and South Shore Line trains)
Washington/Wabash	TBD	Consolidation of Madison/Wabash and Randolph/Wabash scheduled to open in 2016
Madison/Wabash	2 N. Wabash Avenue	Jewelers Row, Legacy Tower, Jewelers Building, Chicago Building, Chase Tower
Adams/Wabash	201-23 S. Wabash Avenue	Grant Park, Petrillo Music Shell, Buckingham Fountain, Art Institute of Chicago, Orchestra Hall, DePaul University Transfer to Green and Orange Line trains
Harold Washington Library–State/Van Buren	1 W. Van Buren Street	Harold Washington Library Center, DePaul University, Robert Morris University, John Marshall Law School, Chicago Bar Association and The Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University Transfer station for Purple, Brown, and Orange Lines and Red Line via Jackson/State and Blue Line via Jackson/Dearborn.
LaSalle/Van Buren	121 W. Van Buren Street	Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Board Options Exchange Transfer station for LaSalle Street Station Metra Rock Island District trains
Quincy	220 S. Wells Street	Willis Tower Transfer station for Union Station Metra (BNSF Railway Line, Heritage Corridor, Milwaukee District/North Line, Milwaukee District/West Line, North Central Service, SouthWest Service) and Amtrak trains
Washington/Wells	100 N. Wells Street	Chicago City Hall, Civic Opera House, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Transfer station for Brown and Purple Line trains and Ogilvie Transportation Center (Union Pacific/North, Northwest, and West Line Metra trains)

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

See also

• Douglas Branch

References

1. ↑ Chicago Transit Authority. And the color is... Pink Line. Last updated March 30, 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2006.
2. ↑ Monifa Thomas. "Nonstop airport trains on pause". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2006-12-19. 
3. ↑ "Agenda - Chicago Transit Board - Regular Meeting, June 13, 2007". Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on January 24, 2008. Retrieved 2007-08-19. 

External links

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