12/02/99
A holiday tradition will return to the rails Friday, December 3, and Saturday, December 4, when the CTA Holiday Train runs along the Blue Line from the Rosemont station near O'Hare to the Cermak and Forest Park terminals. The train will make all regular stops on each trip, and CTA customers paying regular fares are welcome to ride on any of the six passenger cars.
The Holiday Train is decorated with ornaments and thousands of lights both inside and outside. Positioned between pairs of passenger cars on the train is a decorated flatcar carrying reindeer and a sleigh with Santa on board. This season the Holiday Train will appear on six CTA lines, starting December 3.
On Friday, December 3, the Holiday Train will make one round trip on the O'Hare and Cermak branches of the Blue Line, according to the following schedule:
Leave Rosemont 11:06 a.m. Jefferson Park 11:18 Logan Square 11:31 Clarke/Lake 11:48 Polk 12:02 p.m. Western 12:12Arrive 54th Avenue 12:30
Leave 54th Avenue 12:50 p.m. Western 1:10 Polk 1:18 Jackson 1:28 Logan Square 1:50 Jefferson Park 2:04 Rosemont 2:15Arrive O'Hare 2:20 p.m.
On Saturday, December 4, the Holiday Train will make two round trips from Rosemont to Forest Park, making a single stop at O'Hare from 1:25 to 1:40 p.m. The schedule is as follows:
First Trip Second TripLv. Rosemont 10:53 a.m. 1:46 p.m. Jeff.Park 11:03 1:56 Logan Sq. 11:16 2:09 Clark/Lke 11:30 2:22 Racine 11:39 2:31 Cicero 11:49 2:41Ar. Forest Pk 11:59 2:51
First Trip Second TripLv. Forest Pk 12:15 p.m. 3:06 p.m. Cicero 12:24 3:15 Racine 12:34 3:26 Jackson 12:40 3:31 Logan Sq. 1:00 3:51 Jeff Pk. 1:10 4:01Ar. Rosemont 1:19 4:10
Later on Saturday, December 4, the Holiday Train will be transformed into the Holiday Food Train, carrying over 150 baskets of donated food to three stations along the Blue Line. At each station, volunteers will unload the baskets and transport them to nearby locations, where community groups will arrange for their distribution to needy families.
This will be the eighth year CTA Blue Line employees have been involved in this seasonal program of giving. For this occasion, the Holiday Food Train will not be in regular service, and customers will not be invited to ride on board until after the last food basket delivery is made. Media representatives are welcome to ride the train and/or cover activities at each of the stations. For more information, contact CTA Media Relations at (312) 222-6106.
The Holiday Food Train schedule Saturday, December 4, is as follows:
5:27 p.m. Train Arrives: Division Station (subway), Division and Milwaukee, O'Hare branch
5:52 p.m. Train Arrives: 18th Street Station (elevated), 1710 W. 18th Street,Cermak branch
6:20 p.m. Train Arrives: UIC/Halsted Station,430 S. Halsted, (expressway median)
After unloading the last food baskets at Halsted, the train will enter regular service. The first scheduled stop in the Dearborn subway will be at Jackson at 6:29 p.m. The train will reach Logan Square at 6:45 p.m.; Jefferson Park at 6:55 p.m., and Rosemont at 7:05 p.m.
On Saturday, December 11, the Holiday Train will run in regular service on the Red Line; on Sunday, December 12, on the Green Line, and on Saturday, December 18, on the Brown and Orange Lines. Schedules will be announced before each weekend the service is provided.
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