Exterior view of the new 7000-series rail cars

7000-series railcars

Now arriving: CTA's next generation railcars!

After undergoing rigorous and comprehensive out-of-service testing, we are proud to introduce you to the first 10 rail cars of our next generation rail fleet - the 7000-series. We continue to monitor the performance of these vehicles as they operate across our system and in a variety of conditions, all as part of regular service. 

In addition to being the largest railcar order in our agency's history, this purchase is also significant in that each railcar is being assembled here in Chicago by skilled workers from Chicago and the surrounding area. 

Upon completion of this final phase of testing, we'll move forward with the manufacturing of the remaining base order of 390 new rail cars.

Features

  • Exterior:
    • Distinctive bright blue end caps on each railcar
    • Redesigned headlight/taillight layout featuring red and white light-borders
    • Two additional exterior cameras focused on the side passenger doors
  • Accessibility:
    • Pre-recorded announcements now have an “express mode” feature for hearing-impaired customers. This will provide a visual indication of where the train will be running express to, in the event of a need to skip stops or run express
    • Distinct door chimes for the opening and closing of doors to aid vision-impaired riders
    • Improved active vehicle suspension system that uses new sensors to adjust the height of the railcar floor to with that of the platform
  • Interior:
    • Quieter and smoother ride featuring AC propulsion system with regenerative braking
    • Reconfigured interior featuring a mix of aisle- and forward-facing seating
    • Redesigned, all-glass windbreak panels flanking the passenger side doors
    • Two double-sided, GPS-enabled displays located in the center of each car displaying a moving rail system map that shows the line, next station and the upcoming stations
    • Passenger information displays at both ends of the railcar providing next stop information and accompanying text for pre-recorded audio announcements
    • Additional overhead straps and metal swing down rings for standing riders

Photo gallery

System status snapshot
‘L’ route status
Red Line
Normal Service
Blue Line
Normal Service
Brown Line
Normal Service
Green Line
Normal Service
Orange Line
Normal Service
Pink Line
Normal Service
Purple Line
Normal Service
Yellow Line
Normal Service
Bus routes w/alerts
Elevator alerts