Yellow Line (CTA)

Yellow Line
A Yellow Line train of 5000-series cars approaches Oakton–Skokie
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago and Skokie, Illinois, U.S.
Termini	Howard Dempster–Skokie
Stations	3
Service
Type	Light metro[1][2]
System	Chicago "L"
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority
Depot(s)	Howard Yard
Rolling stock	5000-series 2 car trains (typical); maximum 4 cars
Daily ridership	1,144 (avg. weekday 2022)
History
Opened	March 28, 1925; 99 years ago (March 28, 1925)
Closed	March 27, 1948; 76 years ago (March 27, 1948)
Reopened	April 20, 1964; 60 years ago (April 20, 1964)
Technical
Line length	4.7 mi (7.6 km)
Character	Elevated and At-Grade Level
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Operating speed	35 mph (56 km/h)[3]
Route map Yellow Line highlighted in yellow Show interactive map Legend Dempster–Skokie Oakton–Skokie Skokie Shops North Shore Channel Skokie Evanston Asbury (Proposed) UP-N Evanston Chicago Purple Red to 95th/Dan Ryan Howard v t e Show BSicon diagram map

The Yellow Line, alternatively known as the Skokie Swift, is a branch of the Chicago "L" train system in Chicago, Illinois. The 4.7-mile (7.6 km) route runs from the Howard Terminal on the north side of Chicago, through the southern part of Evanston and to the Dempster Terminal in Skokie, Illinois, making one intermediate stop at Oakton Street in downtown Skokie.

At Howard, Yellow Line passengers can transfer to the Purple or Red Lines of the "L". The Yellow Line is the only "L" line that does not go to The Loop and is the only "L" train route that is fully ADA accessible. It is also unique in that it runs in a below-grade trench for part of its length,^[4] even though it has no underground portions and does not run in an expressway median. It also includes grade segments and crossings at the western portion of the line. It was built using the tracks of the former Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad's high-speed Skokie Valley Route.^[4]

Extending the line to Old Orchard Mall in Skokie has been discussed.^[5] From its original opening in 1925 until 1948, the line had several intermediate stops in Evanston and Skokie, but these stations have long been out of use and dismantled. In June 2010, however, construction began on a new station at Oakton, which opened on April 30, 2012.^[6]

Trains operate using the Bombardier-built 5000-series railcars; each train consists of two cars. Average weekday boardings of 1,144 were reported in 2022, making it by far the least-used route in the CTA rail system.^[7] Until late 2009, the Yellow Line was operated with the 3200-series cars that were specially equipped with roof boards that, until late 2004, held pantographs (the roof boards remain on cars 3441-3456 to this day even after they were officially reassigned to the Brown Line). Occasionally, the Yellow Line borrows cars from the Red Line when short on cars.