Chicago Transit Increasing Rail Service to Pre-Pandemic Levels

The Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) rail lines will increase service by 20 percent this fall, adding 1,200 new rail trips per week.

According to an article in Mass Transit, “The new rail schedule returns rail service levels to pre-COVID-19 pandemic service levels, with some strategic adjustments to better meet current ridership patterns.” The agency is adjusting service to match new demand on weekends and reduced rush hour weekday demand.

The agency is working to hire and train new operators to be able to staff higher-frequency service. “In 2024, CTA committed to training up to 200 new rail operators, double the amount from the previous year. CTA has trained and qualified more than 150 rail operators who have since been added into service, with the remaining cohorts of employees currently in training and expected to begin qualifying for rail operator status before the end of the year.”

The CTA’s bus lines are also back to 98 percent of pre-pandemic service levels, with plans to return to full pre-pandemic schedules for winter service later this year. “CTA says it is currently second among peer transit agencies across the U.S. in year-over-year ridership growth. Ridership on the 58 bus routes that received additional service in 2024 is up 13 percent year-over-year, outpacing other routes, which grew by four percent year-over-year.”