From what I understand its not really a new line but a new route?
Yep.
The L line parallel to Cermak Rd., now the Pink Line, was originally part of the old Metropolitan L from the 1890s.
Under the CTA, but before it was the Pink Line, it was the Douglas Park or Cermak Branch of the Blue Line. From the late 1950s on, Douglas Park trains joined Congress Branch trains running in the median of the Eisenhower (nee Congress) Expressway, ran downtown in the Dearborn St. subway, and then went on to O'Hare.
In contrast, the Pink Line joins the Green Line on the West Side, using a stretch of old L that hadn't been used in revenue service since the 1950s (IIRC) but kept intact for non-revenue train movement to the otherwise-isolated Blue Line. The Pink Line runs downtown on the Loop L and heads back west (unlike the Green Line, which doesn't make a full circuit of the Loop but goes south).
So yes, the Pink Line is a new service or route but not using new L structure.
The Pink line section from roughly Harrison St. to Lake ("Paulina Connector") is a rebuild of part of the Met's Logan Square line, today's O' Hare section of the Blue Line. The section between Lake and Milwaukee was removed in the 1960s, though the bridge across the former MILW and C&NW remains to carry signals for today's UP and Metra operations. The Paulina Connector was the only physical connection between the Blue Line and the rest of CTA's rail operations from 1958 on. The Connector was rebuilt as an add-on to the Blue Line rebuild in the mid 2000s. Pink Line trains were initially mixed between continued Blue Line trains, with the Blue Line trains cut back later to rush hour, then discontiunued altogether. The ramp formerly used by Cermak/54 Blue Line trains is still in place, as it is now the physical connection to the Blue Line.
The Pink Line name was adopted after a contest. Initially CTA planned to call it the Silver Line.
railtrail From what I understand its not really a new line but a new route?
Actually it's the same as how the Douglas Park line ran in the early to mid 50s during the expressway construction.
The Pink Line was established to expand service on both the Douglas Park and Congress branches. Prior to the reroute, the Blue Line ran from O'Hare to either Forest Park or 54th Avenue, with half of the trains running to either of those terminals. Service frequencies could not be expanded on the Congress or Douglas Park branches since the Milwaukee line to O'Hare was near or at capacity. Rerouting the Douglas Park trains onto the Loop L instead of the Milwaukee line allowed frequencies to be expanded.
CSSHEGEWISCH The Pink Line was established to expand service on both the Douglas Park and Congress branches. Prior to the reroute, the Blue Line ran from O'Hare to either Forest Park or 54th Avenue, with half of the trains running to either of those terminals. Service frequencies could not be expanded on the Congress or Douglas Park branches since the Milwaukee line to O'Hare was near or at capacity. Rerouting the Douglas Park trains onto the Loop L instead of the Milwaukee line allowed frequencies to be expanded.
Actually it wasn't much about service frequencies, more about load balance. There were 8 car trains running on what is now the Pink Line, now being handled by 4 car trains. Few of those Douglas Park blue line trains increased frequency on the Forest Park branch as many are turned back to O'Hare at the Morgan Middle track.
Somehwhere I have seen a old El map from the 1950s that showed all the orginal routes including the Elgin.
railtrail Somehwhere I have seen a old El map from the 1950s that showed all the orginal routes including the Elgin.
Go to Chicago-L(not El).org and you'll find all the maps and history you'll ever want.
And by Elgin I assume you mean the Chicago Aurora and Elgin that operated on the Garfield Park branch east of 52nd (now Larime ave).
Thanks For the link for Chicago L I did noit know that the L system was 220 miles long at one time in total track
the rerouting resulted in balanced loading and operation for the Blue Line at both ends of its operation, making the Pink line independent.
Buslist52nd (now Larime ave).
52nd St, like all numbered streets in the city, runs east and west and is 5200 south. You think Laramie Ave. which is 5200 west, was also once called 52nd?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
schlimm Buslist 52nd (now Larime ave). 52nd St, like all numbered streets in the city, runs east and west and is 5200 south. You think Laramie Ave. which is 5200 west, was also once called 52nd?
Buslist 52nd (now Larime ave).
yes at one point the North South streets on the west side (how far west I'm not sure) were numbered Avenues not streets. My parents and Grandparents who lived in the Austin neighborhood from 1909 referred to Cicero as 48th etc. even into the '70s. Confused me as a little kid as I knew the numbered streets were east west on the south side.
Check out early literature (as in '02 when it opened) from the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago and you will see the eastern terminal refered to as 52nd ave.
I assume this all ended with the adoption of the letter/mile based naming scheme for North South streets ( streets between Crawford -- err Pulaski -- and Cicero beginning with "K", those between Cicero and Central with "L", Central and Oak Park with "M", Oak Park and Harlem with "N" etc.) I don't know what year that took place. Somewhere around here I have a book with a brief history of Chicago street names that might give a date but it's not handy or I'd check the date.
BTW point your favorite map program a bit to the south you will notice that Cicero never adopted many of the Chicago street names and they are still numbered NS Avenues to this day. Thus the west end of the Pink line is 54th Ave. and IRM's 50th Ave. L station.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.