Red Line (CTA)

Red Line
A Red Line train of 5000-series cars departing the Sheridan station
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleChicago, Illinois, United States
Termini
Stations33
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemChicago "L"
Operator(s)Chicago Transit Authority
Depot(s)Howard Yard, 98th Yard
Rolling stock5000-series
8 car trains (typical, maximum)
Daily ridership108,303 (avg. weekday 2023)
History
OpenedOldest section: May 31, 1900; 124 years ago (1900-05-31)
Current operation: February 21, 1993; 31 years ago (1993-02-21)
Technical
Line length26 mi (42 km)
CharacterElevated, Expressway and Subway
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationThird rail600 V DC
Route map
Map Red Line highlighted in red
Howard Park and ride
Jarvis
Morse
Loyola
Granville
Thorndale
Bryn Mawr
Temporarily
one-way
Berwyn
Under
reconstruction
Argyle
Lawrence
Under
reconstruction
Wilson
Sheridan
Addison
Belmont
Fullerton
North/Clybourn
Clark/Division
Chicago
Grand
Blue to O'Hare | Lake
Washington |
Washington
closed
Monroe | Monroe
Jackson | Jackson
Harrison
Roosevelt
Cermak–Chinatown
Sox–35th
47th
Garfield
63rd
RI
69th
79th
87th
95th/Dan Ryan
I-94.svg I-94 text tex
103rd
111th
Michigan
ME
130th
Two lines
sharing tracks
Multiple lines
sharing tracks
Bus interchange Bus connections at all stations except Jarvis.


The Red Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the busiest line on the "L" system, with an average of 108,303 passengers boarding each weekday in 2023[1] The route is 26 miles (42 km) long with a total of 33 stations. It runs elevated from the Howard station in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side, through the State Street subway on the Near North Side, Downtown, and the South Loop, and then through the Dan Ryan Expressway median to 95th/Dan Ryan in the Roseland neighborhood on the South Side.

Like Chicago's Blue Line, the Red Line runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, making Chicago, New York City, and Copenhagen the only three cities in the world that operate train service 24 hours a day throughout their city limits.[citation needed]

The CTA is planning an extension of the Red Line, adding 5.6 miles (9.0 km) and four new stations which would extend the line from 95th Street to 130th Street, making the Red Line approximately 31 miles in length with 37 stations.[2] In December 2022, the Chicago City Council approved the creation of a district that will send approximately $1 billion in tax revenue for the extension of the Red Line south of 95th Street.[3]

  1. ^ "Annual Ridership Report - Calednar Year 2023" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. January 23, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "50 years after it was promised, the South Red Line Extension is slated to get a $1.973B grant - Streetsblog Chicago". September 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Red Line Extension TIF Approved, Sending Nearly $1 Billion to Far South Side Project over 35 Years". December 14, 2022.