Southbound Purple Line Express and Red Line customers advised to allow extra travel time; northbound service not affected
The CTA reminds customers that the next construction phase of the Wilson Station Reconstruction Project, which will require three-track operations and reroute southbound Red and Purple Line Express trains share a single track for part of their trips – begins on Monday, March 9. In preparation for this change in service, weekend track work is scheduled to begin Friday night through Monday morning, which will affect Red Line service between the Addison and Loyola stations.
Customers are advised to allow extra travel time this weekend and beginning next week.
Weekend Work
Beginning 9 p.m. Friday, March 6 until 4 a.m. Monday, March 9, Howard-bound Red Line trains will be rerouted to operate on the Howard-bound Purple Line Express tracks and will operate express service between Sheridan and Loyola. Also this weekend, 95th-bound Red Line trains will be rerouted to Howard-bound Red Line tracks and will make all station stops between Granville and Wilson.
Boarding Howard-bound trains from affected stations
Howard-bound customers at the Wilson, Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale and Granville stations will need to board a 95th-bound train to Sheridan and then cross the platform to transfer to a Howard-bound train to travel to their intended stop.
Exiting Howard-bound trains at affected stations
Customers who wish to exit Howard-bound trains at the Wilson, Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale and Granville stations will need to travel to Loyola, transfer to a 95th-bound train and then exit at their intended stop.
95th-bound service
95th-bound customers at the Granville, Thorndale, Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, Argyle, Lawrence and Wilson stations traveling will need to board from the Howard-bound side of the platform.
Monday Morning: Three-Track Operations Begin
Beginning at 4 a.m. Monday morning, 95th-bound Red Line and Loop-bound Purple Line Express trains will share one track between the Wilson and Belmont stations as crews begin the demolition and reconstruction of the westernmost tracks (the southbound Purple Line Express tracks) on the four-track elevated structure located within the Wilson station footprint.
During this phase of the project, which is expected to last one year, customers can expect the following changes to their weekday morning commute:
95th-Bound Red Line
- Same number of trains will run and schedules will remain the same.
- Customers could experience additional travel time of approximately 2-4 minutes between Howard and Belmont for some 95th-bound Red Line trips during the AM rush, due to train congestion.
Loop-bound Purple Line Express
- Same number of trains will run, though scheduled times will vary slightly.
- Loop-bound trains will make stops at the Wilson, Sheridan and Addison stations during morning rush only.
- Customers may see additional travel time of approximately 4-6 minutes between Howard and Belmont during the AM rush.
Under the $203 million Wilson Station Reconstruction project, CTA is modernizing the 91-year-old stationhouse and rebuilding and relocating the more than 100-year-old track infrastructure. About 2,200 feet of elevated tracks, signals and supporting infrastructure will also be relocated and reconstructed, eliminating slow zones and improving service reliability for customers.
When the project is complete in late 2017, riders will have a modern, more spacious and accessible rail station that will serve as a new transfer point for Red and Purple Line Express trains. The new station and infrastructure will provide a more pleasing street environment on Wilson Avenue and Broadway Street in the heart of Uptown and service as an economic anchor for the neighborhood.
For more information about the Wilson project, visit transitchicago.com/wilson.
# # #