CTA

Popular CTA Train Tracker Gets Even Better

March 3, 2014

Customers will be able to see travel alerts, better arrival information at rail station displays

The Chicago Transit Authority today announced it is adding new features to its popular CTA Train Tracker electronic screens at rail stations. These improvements will help customers get additional travel information more quickly and more easily as they wait for trains.

One of the enhancements to CTA Train Tracker will include adding alerts of relevant temporary service changes, such as planned service alternatives or unexpected delays, on most Train Tracker displays found at stations, including on platforms and in stationhouses. This information is currently found on CTA’s web site, transitchicago.com, via @CTA on Twitter and through email and text alerts customers can elect to receive – now customers awaiting trains can access the latest transit information right there at the rail station or platform

In addition, CTA Train Tracker signs will reconfigure train arrival information to better show the most immediate trains that are coming in either direction, even for stations serving multiple train lines -- so customers don’t have to wait for the Train Tracker display to scroll through multiple arrival times to get to the train arrival times they want. All CTA stations have at least one CTA Train Tracker electronic display installed, and the CTA anticipates eventually having 1,000 Train Tracker displays installed at its 145 rail stations.

“CTA Train Tracker is incredibly popular with our customers, taking the guesswork out of commuting each day,” said CTA Forrest Claypool. “Mayor Emanuel and I have placed a priority on providing the latest technology to improve transit customer commutes, and we continue to invest in ways so passengers can more quickly and easily plan and manage those commutes each day.”

CTA Train Tracker was launched in 2011 to provide estimated train arrival times for all 145 rail stations across CTA’s eight lines, and is available online at transitchicago.com and via mobile phones on CTA’s mobile site. It’s also found on many third-party apps via an application program interface (API), which was created by the CTA to allow third-party developers to tap into the data that powers both CTA Train Tracker and Bus Tracker and produce innovative Web and mobile apps that can provide transit features to users.

Both CTA Train Tracker and CTA Bus Tracker, which was launched in 2006, are the CTA’s most popular electronic customer tools, receiving about 11 million web page and an estimated 100 million data requests in the last month.

For more information on all the new features that will be available to help customize Train Tracker displays at your station, visit Train Tracker or see this page.

 

Images

Photo: Train Tracker Screen at Lake
The latest generation of Train Tracker displays, above, will be customized to ensure customers have faster and easier access to pertinent travel alerts as they’re issued.

 

Picture of Alert at Addison
The same travel alert information posted to CTA’s website, Twitter and in text/email alerts will now also appear on the newer Train Tracker displays.

 

Picture of combined results at Lake
The newer displays can be customized and allow for consolidated views, which show the estimated arrival times of trains operating on different tracks.

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