CTA reminds customers of reroutes of Loop L Trains this weekend

The Chicago Transit Authority is reminding customers that from 4 a.m. Saturday, November 6 through approximately 8 p.m. Sunday, November 7, Brown, Orange and southbound Green Line trains will be temporarily rerouted in the Loop as CTA crews install a new signal control facility at Van Buren and Wabash. The work is part of CTA's continuing efforts to upgrade the signal and train control systems in the Loop. During these hours, trains will be flagged through the intersection by crews on the tracks as the signal controls will not operate automatically.  

CTA recommends customers
allow extra travel time.

Beginning Saturday at 4
a.m., southbound Brown Line trains entering the Loop will operate clockwise
around the Loop. From the Merchandise Mart, southbound Brown Line trains will
make their first stop at Clark/Lake, then State/Lake, Randolph/Wabash,
Madison/Wabash, Adams/Wabash, Harold Washington Library, LaSalle/Van Buren,
Quincy and Washington/Wells then proceed to the Merchandise Mart where they
will resume normal northbound service to Kimball.

Northbound Orange Line
trains entering the Loop will operate counter clockwise around the Loop. From
Roosevelt, northbound Orange Line trains will make their first stop at
Adams/Wabash then Madison/Wabash, Randolph/Wabash, State/Lake, Clark/Lake,
Washington/Wells, Quincy, LaSalle/Van Buren and Harold Washington Library then
proceed to Roosevelt and resume normal southbound service to Midway.

Southbound Green Line trains
will be rerouted to the track along Wells and Van Buren. Southbound Green Line
trains will make their first stop at Washington/Wells, Quincy/Wells,
LaSalle/Van Buren and Harold Washington Library, then proceed to Roosevelt where
they will resume normal southbound service.

All Pink Line and
northbound Green Line trains will operate on their regular routes in the Loop.

The new signal system will
help to improve the reliability of service by regulating train movement, speed and
intervals at the Wabash and Van Buren junction where trains enter and exit the
Loop. With the current signal and control system, trains may experience delays
while waiting for signal clearance when crossing into or out of the Loop.

The new system will reduce
signal clearance delays by replacing the current system, which is more than 30
years old, with new signals designed to improve service reliability by
regulating train movement, speed and intervals more effectively. The newer
equipment also will reduce the cost of maintenance as aging equipment requires
maintenance more frequently.

The Loop Signal replacement
project is expected to conclude in late 2010. The project is being conducted in
phases to help minimize the impact to customers. The majority of the work has
taken place on weekends and in the early morning hours.