Passenger Trains > "CTA lifts slow zone restrictions on 25,000' of track"

Nov. 15 news from RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES Magazine:
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CTA lifts slow zone restrictions on 25,000 feet of track

The Chicago Transit Authority continues to make progress in completing rail tie replacement work to eliminate slow zones in the Red Line’s State Street subway, along the Clark Junction corridor and on the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line. As a result of the work completed this past weekend, slow zone restrictions were lifted on 25,000 feet, or nearly five miles, of track.

“Customers are noticing the improved travel times on the Red, Brown, Purple and Blue Lines and can see the payoff their patience and this investment in the system are making,” said CTA President Ron Huberman. “As work is completed, speed restrictions are incrementally being lifted along sections of track. This allows trains to resume normal speeds, which makes a big difference on stretches where trains have been crawling.”

Train speed has increased on the Red Line in the subway from Grand to Clark/Division, on the Blue Line between Montrose and Jefferson Park, along one mile of track from Jefferson Park to Harlem and along the Clark Junction corridor from Diversey to Southport.

As work continues, rail service between the Jefferson Park and Harlem Blue Line stations will be temporarily suspended from Friday, November 16 to Monday, November 19 to replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes. Bus shuttles will operate as a substitute for rail service between the two stations. In addition, to help speed work, the inner most eastbound lane of traffic will be closed on the Kennedy Expressway from Jefferson Park to Harlem from Friday night until Sunday morning.

The work from Jefferson Park to Harlem will be completed by the end of this year and eliminate more than 25,000 feet of slow zones. CTA points out that 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.

Wow, something to brag about. Trains will operate at normal speed.!!!!!

Bob

rbx551985 Wrote:
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> Nov. 15 news from RAILWAY TRACK & STRUCTURES
> Magazine:
> __________________________________________________

>
> The work from Jefferson Park to Harlem will be
> completed by the end of this year and eliminate
> more than 25,000 feet of slow zones. CTA points
> out that 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.

The CTA should redesign the trucks to "allow trains to reach speeds above 60 mph"!
I was on the Blue Line this early evening from Clark/Lake (Downtown & the stop where all of the CTA trains except for the Yellow trains, connect) and headed to Western Suburbs underground until it reappears on the I-290 West of the Clinton stop.

Once we past the Racine Avenue stop, we were flying! Sitting at the very end of the Rail-car one wonders if the rails are going to continue to support the eight car train or not.

It IS something to brag about--five miles, with plans for five more, on a 250-mile system is pretty good. When CSX brings 500 miles up to track speed, THAT will be news!