Late night reroute on Friday; track closures Saturday through Monday morning
This weekend, crews will begin work associated with the Loop Track Renewal project and replace deteriorated rail and track components along the Wells and Van Buren elevated structure. Work will require a late night reroute of Orange and Pink line trains on Friday; and a track closure in both directions along Wells and Van Buren beginning Saturday morning through early morning Monday.
Friday Night Reroute: Affecting Orange and Pink Line Trains
From 9 p.m. Friday, April 20 until end of service (approximately 1:45 a.m. the following morning), Orange and Pink line trains will be rerouted from the inner Loop tracks to operate on the outer Loop tracks, and travel in a counterclockwise direction. During these times, Orange and Pink line customers will need to board and exit trains from the Brown Line (outer Loop track) side of the platform.
Upon entering the Loop:
Orange Line trains will make their first stop at Adams/Wabash, then Madison/Wabash, Randolph/Wabash, State/Lake, Clark/Lake, Washington/Wells, Quincy, LaSalle/Van Buren and Harold Washington Library, then proceed to Roosevelt and resume the normal route.
Pink Line trains will make their first stop at Washington/Wells, then Quincy, LaSalle/Van Buren, Harold Washington Library, Adams/Wabash, Madison/Wabash, Randolph/Wabash, State/Lake and Clark/Lake, then proceed to Clinton and resume the normal route.
Saturday Morning to Monday Morning: Wells/Van Buren Track Closure
From 4 a.m. Saturday, April 21 through 4 a.m. Monday, April 23, the inner and outer elevated tracks along Wells and Van Buren streets will be closed. During this time, all trains serving the Loop elevated will operate along the Wabash and Lake sections of track.
Brown and Orange Line Trains
Brown and Orange line trains will operate as one route between Kimball and Midway in both directions along the Lake and Wabash elevated tracks in the Loop.
Southbound (to the Loop) Brown Line trains will operate on the inner Loop track as Orange Line trains from Merchandise Mart to Midway.
Northbound (to the Loop) Orange Line trains will operate on the outer Loop track as Brown Line trains from Roosevelt to Kimball.
Pink Line Trains
Pink Line trains will operate between 54th/Cermak and Roosevelt. Eastbound (to the Loop) trains will travel on the inner Loop tracks and westbound (to 54th/Cermak) trains will operate on the outer Loop tracks.
Green Line Trains
Service along the Green Line will not be affected and trains will operate normally in both directions via Lake and Wabash.
All rail lines serving the Loop will resume normal operations at the start of service on Monday, April 23.
The Loop Track Renewal project will replace special track work at the Tower 18 and Tower 12 junctions, which are located at Lake/Wells and Wabash/Van Buren respectively, and nearly 11,500 feet of elevated rail and track components that are nearing the end of their useful life along: Wells and Van Buren streets; a small portion of elevated track along Wabash between Adams and Van Buren; and the Hubbard Curve, which is located just north of the Merchandise Mart station. Work is expected to be complete in late-2012.
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