Passenger Trains > The CTA Mystery Project

If you search "news" "CTA Purple Line" the only results are from July, when a $30 million track improvement program was announced to upgrade tracks between Lawrence and Jarvis on the Purple Line. If you check CTA's website, under track improvements, over 10 projects are mentioned but that one isn't. If you look at their Flickr, there are photos of other track improvement projects but not that one. Notably, there also hasn't been a slow zone map update since August.

The reason I'm getting curious about the silence is that the project was supposed to be done at the end of November. On the Northbound track, they have installed new ties, tie plates, and clips from Lawrence to Jarvis. New rail was put in from Lawrence to around Bryn Mawr. And ballast was dumped in many places, and some were resurfaced. But other spots - like North of Loyola - haven't been resurfaced and it seems like it has been weeks. Last time I rode this track on the Purple Line, 1-2 weeks ago, speeds were 35mph to Bryn Mawr, then 25mph, then 15mph. I was hoping some of that would already be 55mph, and now am wondering if they even intend to raise it that high.

November ends in 6 days, so I'm really curious what the status of the project is.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 10:26 by inCHI.

As I mentioned in a previous post, it's not just the track and roadbed. Even in the 80's the concern was the concrete retaining wall and the improper drainage within the walls. Could be somebody found the old memos and questioned the stability of the walls. If this was not included in the construction budget, maybe that's the mystery.

I must have missed you mentioning it, but that makes sense. I was wondering how it is that they could upgrade the track and claim a big improvement if, at the same time, they say replacing the whole structure is an urgent need. From my perspective as a rider, I'm just wondering whether the trackwork will make a difference. Last time I did a time comparison, taking the Purple Line to Howard from Belmont was only 3-4 minutes faster than the Red Line. That was a month or two ago, and I made the comparison by lucking-out and getting a perfectly timed transfer from Red to Purple at Belmont. Both trains left at the same time, and I used a tracking app to follow the progress of the Red Line train.

The issue is, if it is only 3-4 minutes faster, in my case I often have to wait that long to transfer anyway so there isn't even a time advantage between the two. The broader issue is that for express riders, it just isn't that fast once you include the slow speeds of the Ravenswood connector. By my estimatation the Red Line subway is about 8-10 minutes faster getting to the loop from Fullteron than Purple/Brown Line trains.

 The structures are old and feeble, it will never be more than a 35 mph railroad. One CTA department can buy cars capable of 70 mph (ha). Then the Way and Structures Dept says the embankments/elevated can't take it. Then the Shops will call and say the cars are falling apart due to roadbed/speed conditions. The Signal Dept gets the memos and adjusts the cab signals to enforce the slow zones. Once imposed, enforced slow zones are hard to remove (Signal Dept can do it in minutes, but every manager has to approve it).The contractor can build a decent roadbed (until the first freeze thaw cycle). The CTA does not have maintenance equipment to work with the third rail in place, as noted by the expressway lines. 

So the pr people and the Mayor's office have, on paper, a high speed transit system. About 20 years ago the mayor's office wanted the CTA to povide high speed service from downtown to O'Hare. CTC and bi-directional signals were installed, roadbed improved. Lots of money. At 35 mph, to this day, you can be hurled from your seat in certain spots. Can you see a 70 mph train racing to 6 mph crossovers? I'm happily retired, I have no grudges, this is just the way things are.

I appreciate the comment, because that is the kind of insight that I haven't found elsewhere and really helps understand things better.

goldenlvr writes, in part:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  The structures are old and feeble, it will never
> be more than a 35 mph railroad. One CTA department
> can buy cars capable of 70 mph (ha). Then the Way
> and Structures Dept says the embankments/elevated
> can't take it. Then the Shops will call and say
> the cars are falling apart due to roadbed/speed
> conditions. The Signal Dept gets the memos and
> adjusts the cab signals to enforce the slow zones.
> Once imposed, enforced slow zones are hard to
> remove (Signal Dept can do it in minutes, but
> every manager has to approve it).The contractor
> can build a decent roadbed (until the first freeze
> thaw cycle). The CTA does not have maintenance
> equipment to work with the third rail in place, as
> noted by the expressway lines. 
>
> So the pr people and the Mayor's office have, on
> paper, a high speed transit system.
Two quick points:
*To create a 70mph system from the existing network, the whole thing will have to be retooled, rebuilt to higher standards -- AND THEN MAINTAINED.
*This description supports the thesis that BY NOT MAINTAINING THE SYSTEM, THE CITY (and its poilticians) HAS SYSTEMATICALLY DISINVESTED IN THE CTA
from the moment the city took it over.

Alas, the North Shore and CA&E are both long departed...pity.