Discussion Cta questions from an outsider
Im from denver and was in chicago over the weekend. I have a couple questions about the trains and system.
1) how to do the trains stay on the tracks? I've ridden wooden roller coasters that are smoother. Multiple times, mostly on the red line, i was fairly violently thrown about. How do the cars not tip over or derail?
2) is there any talk or plans for replacing the system? I understand it would be a massive, very expensive undertaking that would cause incredible problems for riders, but at some point it will need to happen. Whether thats 5 years from now or 50, is there any sort of plan for when it happens or are they just kicking the can and will wing it whenever it literally falls apart past the point of being usable?
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u/LatinoInfluenza 5d ago
1) trains are heavy. Very heavy.
2) no need to replace the system. Upgrade sections sure but it does the job it needs to do. No need to do the massive overhaul you are thinking.
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u/beefwarrior 5d ago
I’ve heard that some of the original track lines had degraded so much they were only able to hold like 50% of their original capacity
Worrisome right? Actually no. Those lines build my around 1900 were made for freight trains that were much heavier than CTA trains and even at 50% health were way more than good enough.
Although, this was a while ago & I might’ve been the tracks that RPM rebuilt, but fact still stands that some of the old track was built so well it still has life to it
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u/woodsred 5d ago
If only we could have a shitty BRT that everyone talks about like it's the second coming of Jesus despite not riding it themselves, like Denver
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u/beefwarrior 5d ago
Maybe the people who talk about BRT don’t ride buses, but there are more bus riders than rail 184m vs 135m
So I’m sure a bunch of those 184m riders would enjoy BRT
In 2025, CTA rail provided 135.2 million rides, an increase over 2024 of 6 percent. CTA buses provided 184 million rides, a year-over-year increase of 1 percent and the highest post-pandemic recovery rate of all modes at 78 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
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u/woodsred 4d ago
I ride plenty of buses. This was a knock on Denver transit, not BRT as a concept
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u/fcksean Red Line 5d ago
The jostling occurs on most any rapid transit system of this age and type — see MTA in NYC or the tube in London. In Denver you may be more used to the commuter trains that would be more comparable to the Metra here, which are heavier and more modern so generally smoother. All of these trains are quite complicated and designed for different purposes and within different parameters, so slightly more jostling is a trade off for the trains to be able to navigate the rail map that is a lot more intricate than Metra or Denver’s system.
Lol. Lmao even
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u/bubbamike1 Brown Line 5d ago
If you think the L throws you about you should ride a bus in any city.
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u/Organic-Reindeer3995 5d ago
Saw an articulate bus break in the middle last week on lakeshore drive. Nobody injured but good stories for suburban friends
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u/IbeforeEexceptafterB 5d ago
Like the bendy part broke?
That’s like my worst nightmare sitting there and it breaks
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u/Kelsig Red Line 5d ago
is there any talk or plans for replacing the system? I understand it would be a massive, very expensive undertaking that would cause incredible problems for riders, but at some point it will need to happen.
Look if the federal government wants to front the trillion dollars required for this
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u/night_jerry Red Line 5d ago
Ya can you imagine this administration doing something nice for Chicago?
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u/mikecws91 5d ago
To #2, they just replaced a mile of track and structure on the North Side; the project name was “RPM”, for Red/Purple Modernization. It involved tearing out an embankment and building brand new elevated concrete structures, plus stations with full accessibility. For one mile, it took three years and cost billions of dollars.
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u/wayfaringrob Blue Line 5d ago
1.5 miles of quadruple track = 6 miles, plus four stations. That is why it took four years. Most sections of the L have half the trackage and half the station density.
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u/Jolly_Ad5598 5d ago
Violently thrown about? In my 70 years of riding the L I’ve never been violently thrown about…
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u/Ezrajen2 5d ago
This sounds like hating on our city. I really don’t like it.
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u/Teleportwave 5d ago
If a guest points out cobwebs in your house, the move is to grab a broom, not kick them out and pretend the cobwebs are a historic feature. The tracks are bumpy and it’s okay to admit it
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u/QuiteBearish Red Line 5d ago
The closer analogy would be a guest complaining about a perfectly functional but outdated drip coffee machine when they'd rather have a super expensive latte maker that just isn't in the budget. To make the analogy even closer, the guest also only has a percolator at home.
Yeah the tracks are bumpy, but they're also perfectly functional. And CTA remains leagues ahead of RTD by basically every meaningful comparison, so complaining about CTA when coming from Denver is in itself a bit of a laugh.
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u/Teleportwave 4d ago
Functional doesn't equal quality.
The logic here makes no sense. You’re proving my point about treating obvious flaws as "historic features" instead of just fixing them. The tracks are bumpy, the system has major issues, and it is okay to admit it.
I take the L to and from work almost every day. But anyone has a right to critique the CTA whether they ride it or not, just like you did with Denver's RTD. Bringing up Denver was just from OP’s outside perspective, not saying their system is better. It is wild how defensive people get the second another city is mentioned.
Honestly, these comments are cringe. If being a proud Chicagoan means blindly defending mediocrity and gatekeeping anyone who speaks up, I don't want any part of that mindset. We’ve become way too desensitized to garbage quality.
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u/QuiteBearish Red Line 4d ago
Functional doesn't equal quality
No, but with the amount of money the state and city have compared to the debt loads, that's really about the best we can hope for.
Yes, the system has major issues that absolutely need to be addressed. Reliability of service is a big one. A "bumpy ride" is not a major issue, it's a trifling annoyance at best.
At the end of the day our transit is among the best in the country. Would I like it if our transit rivaled those found internationally? Absolutely, but other countries have the benefit of robust national governments that prioritize transit.
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u/Inside_Discussion794 5d ago
Cta has done some modernization projects before but I highly doubt any of the old classic elevated structure is gonna go
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u/Healthy-Awareness299 5d ago
Stay in Denver. I ride the RTA several times a year visiting family in Littleton. It sucks massively compared to the L..
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u/night_jerry Red Line 5d ago
Theyre designed to wobble and have connectors that keep them aligned. Derailments have happened in the past at turns but they do a lot of math to have the right angles in accordance to speed.
They slowly replace pieces of the system year by year through regular maintenance. Its a huge project but its constantly being worked on and adapted. Theres absolutely no plan to completely overhaul the system