3/27/08
Work to eliminate slow zones on the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line resumes this weekend.
Rail service between the Jefferson Park and Cumberland Blue Line stations will be temporarily suspended from 9 p.m. Friday, March 28 to 3 a.m. Monday, March 31 in order to replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes.
Bus shuttles will operate as a substitute for rail service between the Jefferson Park, Harlem and Cumberland stations. Extra travel time is advisable.
Crews completed the first phase of Blue Line slow zone elimination work at the end of December. Work to replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes was completed along roughly 22,500 feet of track resulting in faster, smoother rides for customers traveling between the Jefferson Park and Harlem stations.
The work is part of an aggressive plan to eliminate slow zones on the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line and redesign the tracks to allow trains to reach speeds above 60 mph.
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