CTA temporarily suspends service in Blue Line’s Dearborn Subway
Written by jrood
Rail service between the Blue Line's Western/Milwaukee and Washington stations temporarily will be suspended from 10 p.m. Friday, August 28 until 4 a.m. Monday, August 31 as work continues in the Dearborn subway to reduce slow zones. In addition, a single track will be in effect between the UIC-Halsted and LaSalle stations from midnight until 2 a.m. on Monday, August 31. Eastbound customers at the UIC-Halsted, Clinton and LaSalle stations must board and exit trains from the westbound side of the platform.
In 2007, CTA began a
project to eliminate existing slow zones in the Dearborn subway that were
having a major impact on travel time for riders. With the funds available at the time, CTA was able to make
repairs that allowed trains to resume normal speeds. From July to September
2007, repairs were made to 6,336 feet of slow zones between the Damen and
Clark/Lake stations. Crews replaced more than 5,000 deteriorated wooden rail
ties with concrete rail ties.
Recently the CTA received
federal stimulus funding that allows it to renew all of the remaining track
(approximately seven miles or 39,000 feet) from Division on the O’Hare branch
to Clinton on the Forest Park branch.
Crews are replacing deteriorated wooden half ties with concrete half
ties, running rail and contact (third) rail to remove emerging slow zones and
help prevent the creation of new slow zones.
Also, due to track
maintenance work, northbound Red Line trains temporarily will be unable to stop
at the Morse and Jarvis stations from 6 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday,
August 29.
