The CTA is adding more Blue and Green Line train service for the Democratic National Convention, the agency said on Tuesday.
The CTA is running extra Green and Blue Line trains after the DNC, as well as more Green Line trains before the event. Travelers will see additional Blue Line service through the rest of the week.
The announcement comes after train trackers showed scheduled trains running as long as 27 minutes apart shortly after the convention concluded Monday, though the CTA said the wait times were, in reality, lower. The CTA said Monday’s extra Blue Line trains were used earlier in the day to recover from a service suspension due to an unplanned motorcade. Normal service was restored before the convention concluded, the agency said.
The CTA did not respond to additional requests for comment.
CTA now says it's running extra Green and Blue Line trains after the DNC, and Green trains also before. But last night's extra Blue trains were used earlier to recover from a suspension from an unplanned motorcade
Here's what CTA said earlier about this>>https://t.co/7j3sG9jtPa https://t.co/H9lxU5t0us
— Sarah Freishtat (@srfreish) August 20, 2024
The Tribune previously reported that the CTA planned to add some additional “L” runs to handle the influx of convention visitors, though the agency provided few specifics about the service.
As part of their preparations for the convention, the CTA and city officials celebrated the long-awaited opening of a new Green Line station at Damen as a key accomplishment. Located blocks from the United Center where the convention is taking place, the station was initially planned to be finished in 2020 and was completed weeks before the DNC began.
Metra service to O’Hare is about to get much better — for the DNC, at least
CTA riders are contending with bus reroutes around security perimeters surrounding the convention sites. The agency also committed some equipment to DNC use, though CTA President Dorval Carter promised aldermen the transit agency would be able to run buses and trains during the convention with minimal effects on everyday passengers.
