12/21/01
The Chicago Transit Authority is in the holiday spirit with the 2001 version of its popular Holiday Train. Customers paying regular fares are invited to ride the train, which will make its final run of the season on the Orange and Brown CTA rail lines this weekend.
The six-car train is decorated with 35,000 lights. Interiors of the cars are decked out with bows, garland, red and green lighting and the hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes. The train also features a flat car that carries Santa and his reindeer as well as other decorations. The exterior of the train is wrapped in a vinyl material depicting a holiday theme of ?Peace on Earth."
The train is the handiwork of CTA Rail Operations employees who work at the Skokie Shops facility. About 175 employees work or volunteer on some aspect of the train from the initial planning to decorating and staffing various Holiday Train events. Due to the train's increasing popularity over the past ten years, it now takes three to four weeks to assemble, wire and decorate the train.
The Holiday Train will run between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and will make stops at all stations along the Orange and Brown Line routes.
For a complete schedule and station stops, visit the CTA website at www.transitchicago.com, or call 1-888-YOUR CTA.
# # #