Evanston Branch

Purple Line (CTA)

Company type	Rapid transit line
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1908
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Area served	Chicago, Illinois, and northern suburbs (Wilmette, Evanston)
Products	Rapid transit service
Website	https://www.transitchicago.com/purpleline/

The Purple Line represents the northernmost segment of the Chicago "L" network. It extends from in Wilmette to at Chicago’s northern boundary, traversing through Evanston along its route.

On weekday peak periods, the Purple Line continues southward along the North Side Main Line from Howard to downtown Chicago. During this time, it operates as an express service between Howard and , stopping only once at , then proceeds with local stops to the Loop. This specialized service is commonly referred to as the Purple Line Express or Evanston Express.

In 2024, the line recorded an average of 4,904 boardings on weekdays. Outside of peak hours, it stands as the shortest rail route within the CTA system.

Prior to the CTA’s adoption of color-coded lines in 1993, this route was identified as the Evanston Line or Evanston Shuttle, with its express variant known as the Evanston Express.

Key destinations served by the Purple Line include Northwestern University—accessible via the and stops—as well as its athletic venues such as Ryan Field, Rocky Miller Park, and Welsh-Ryan Arena located at . Additionally, the line provides access to the Bahá'í House of Worship at . The purple hue of the line likely draws inspiration from Northwestern University’s official colors.

Trackage

Commencing at Linden Avenue in Wilmette—home to a rail yard and maintenance facility—the Purple Line proceeds through the North Shore region on a dedicated right-of-way that begins at street level. From Wilmette, the track elevates just beyond Isabella Street near the Wilmette-Evanston border, crosses over the North Shore Channel close to Central Street (the first Evanston stop), and continues on an elevated embankment running alongside Sherman Avenue. The line halts at Davis Street in downtown Evanston and then parallels Chicago Avenue and Metra’s Union Pacific Railroad corridor until it reaches Clark Street, situated just north of CTA’s Howard Yard.

Passing through Howard Yard, the Purple Line merges with both Red and Yellow Lines. The track layout is grade-separated here to facilitate Yellow Line trains entering from the west. Immediately south of this yard lies Howard station, which serves as a terminal for Red, Purple, and Yellow Lines.

Between Howard and Armitage stations, four tracks are in operation: during weekday rush hours, Purple Line trains utilize the outer tracks for express service, bypassing stops until reaching Wilson and Belmont Avenues. From Belmont to Armitage, both Purple and Brown Lines share the outer tracks while making all scheduled stops. In the stretch south of Armitage up to north of Chicago Avenue, a two-track segment exists atop a four-track structure. The outer tracks in this area saw minimal use following the North Shore Line’s discontinuation in 1963 and were ultimately taken out of service in 1976.

Routing

Originally, the Purple Line Express circled clockwise around the Inner Loop via Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells streets, stopping at every Loop station before heading back northbound toward Linden. On April 2, 2007, construction activities at Belmont and Fullerton stations prompted a reroute onto the Outer Loop track shared with the Brown Line. Prior to this change, Outer Loop diversions were reserved for emergencies or signaling problems only. The Purple Line Express reverted to its initial Inner Loop path on December 29, 2008.

In cases where service interruptions affect the North Side Main Line between the Loop and Fullerton station, Purple Line trains generally detour through the State Street subway tunnel. This rerouting follows Red Line tracks southbound to Roosevelt before returning northward.

For several years, inbound afternoon Purple Line Express trains made a stop at Addison (Red) before weekday evening Chicago Cubs games. This provided direct transit access to Wrigley Field for riders traveling from northern Chicago neighborhoods, Evanston, and Skokie. However, platform modifications in the early 1990s required trains to cross over onto inner Red Line tracks—which lacked platforms adjacent to outer tracks—leading to discontinuation of this stop. Following Brown Line construction efforts aimed at minimizing delays, trains now pause at Sheridan Road one station north prior to evening Cubs games; Sheridan features two island platforms with access to express tracks that eliminate crossover requirements.

Connections

During weekday peak periods, the Purple Line Express is one of just two 'L' routes that allow transfers to every other line, the other being the Red Line. Unlike the Red Line, which does not offer a non-farecard transfer to the Pink Line, the Purple Line uniquely permits transfers without requiring a farecard on all other lines.

The Purple Line stations at and are situated slightly east of their corresponding Metra stations. Furthermore, the express segment stops at , , , and are all within walking distance of Metra's Ogilvie Transportation Center, Union Station, LaSalle Street Station, and Millennium Station, respectively.

Rolling stock

As of November 2018, the Purple Line utilizes Bombardier-manufactured 5000-series railcars. Prior to May 2014, the line predominantly operated with 2400-series vehicles. In 2007, a limited number of 3200-series cars temporarily served this route before being reassigned elsewhere. The 2600-series trains were in use until January 2013, after which they were transferred to the Red and Blue Lines. Beginning in October 2013, some of these displaced 2600-series cars returned as new 5000-series units were phased in. By May 2014, all 2400-series cars had been withdrawn from service on this line; the 2600-series followed suit in March 2015. Typically, the Purple Line operates six-car train sets and occasionally borrows equipment from the Red Line when necessary.

Operating hours and headways

The Purple Line provides continuous service between Linden and Howard: from Monday through Thursday operating between 4:25 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., Fridays until 2:10 a.m., Saturdays until 2:15 a.m., and Sundays until 1:45 a.m. During weekday rush hours, trains run as frequently as every five minutes (12 tph), decreasing to six trains per hour midday, then four to five tph in the evening, and down to three tph after midnight. Early mornings and late evenings maintain a frequency of four tph, with late afternoons increasing slightly to five tph.

The Purple Line Express runs during weekday rush hours between Linden and the Loop: southbound service occurs from 5:15 a.m. to 9:20 a.m., while northbound trains operate from 5:55 a.m. to 10:05 a.m.; evening service runs southbound between 2:25 and 6:25 p.m., and northbound from 3:05 to 7:05 p.m. Trains typically run every five to eight minutes during these periods, occasionally extending up to fifteen minutes.

The Northwestern Elevated era

Service on the Evanston Line commenced on May 16, 1908, operating between Central Street in Evanston and the Loop after the Northwestern Elevated Railroad extended its operations over electrified steam railroad tracks leased from the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. On April 2, 1912, the route was extended to its present terminus at Linden Avenue in Wilmette despite local resistance due to concerns about potential development effects.

In 1922, a concrete embankment was constructed elevating the North Side 'L' between Leland Avenue and Howard Street; concurrently, the track count increased from two to four. This expansion facilitated express service linking Wilmette and Evanston directly with downtown Chicago. Some sections of the Evanston Branch remained at street level until their elevation between Church Street and the North Shore Channel in 1928. After Howard station, there were nine stops including Calvary station, which closed in 1931 and was replaced by South Boulevard station located further north.

CTA era

On October 1, 1947, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) assumed control of the service that would become known as the Purple Line. The service configuration established on July 31, 1949, featured continuous local trains running between Linden Avenue and Howard Street, while express trains operated during weekday peak periods, stopping at all stations in Wilmette and Evanston as well as select downtown locations. An additional fee for express trips beyond Howard to the Loop was implemented despite political attempts to reduce this charge.

In 1953, the CTA acquired the right-of-way and track infrastructure from Leland Avenue to Wilmette from the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad by issuing $7 million in revenue bonds. During the 1950s, midday and Saturday express services were discontinued; by the 1960s, local shuttle operations transitioned to single-car, one-person crews. The Isabella station was closed in 1973.

That same year, the Evanston Branch segment between South Boulevard and Wilmette shifted from overhead catenary to third rail power. This upgrade facilitated the retirement of outdated railcars and service modernization, although it initially faced opposition from residents concerned about safety.

By late 1976, Evanston Express trains operated nonstop between Howard and Merchandise Mart, resulting in the removal of stops at Morse, Loyola, Wilson, and Chicago/Franklin to improve schedule adherence. However, starting January 20, 1989, express trains resumed stops at Belmont and Fullerton to alleviate congestion on the Brown Line; by the late 1990s, all stations between Belmont and the Loop were served. The express surcharge was eliminated in 1997 with the rollout of the TransitCard fare system.

Overnight service was discontinued in April 1998. In December 2001, express operating hours were extended on a trial basis—beginning earlier in the morning and ending later at night—and these expanded hours were made permanent by 2004.

Beginning in 2005, six aging viaducts along the Evanston branch were replaced with new steel structures following safety concerns raised by local officials over deferred maintenance. The Main Street viaduct replacement necessitated a weekend closure; this was followed by work on the Church Street viaduct in 2006.

From 2006 through 2009, the Howard terminal underwent extensive renovations to comply with ADA standards. Construction proceeded in phases that temporarily altered boarding locations.

Throughout its history, the Purple Line Express has often been targeted for elimination during CTA financial crises due to its secondary role relative to other lines. Notable proposed cuts occurred in 1973 and again in 2005. In response to budget shortfalls in 2007, plans were considered to reduce or eliminate Purple Line Express service; however, final decisions maintained downtown service while adding a Sheridan station stop to help offset Red Line capacity losses following bus route eliminations. Express operations became contingent upon crowding levels on the Red Line.

Scheduled service reductions set for September 2007 were postponed multiple times after last-minute state funding injections totaling $45 million. Ultimately, Illinois legislation passed in January 2008 secured transit funding that prevented these cutbacks.

Parallel to these developments was the $530 million Brown Line Capacity Expansion project completed in December 2009. This initiative upgraded seven stations shared with the Purple Line and improved track and signal systems from Belmont to the Loop. Beginning in April 2007, construction limited track availability between Addison and Armitage during rush hours, reducing train frequency downtown; full service was restored by February 2010. During this period, Purple Line Express trains briefly utilized Outer Loop tracks for enhanced routing options before returning to Inner Loop tracks by spring 2009.

Abandoned initiative

A suggested plan for the CTA's Circle Line included diverting Purple Line Express trains to run along the Red Line after Belmont, making stops at Fullerton and other Red Line subway stations, and terminating at a proposed Wentworth station before proceeding northward. This concept remained under evaluation; the definitive Circle Line design and its effects on CTA rail operations were never executed, leading to the project's cancellation.

Route indicators

Beginning in 1993, destination signs on Purple Line trains have featured the route name set against a background matching the line's color.

List of stations

<style="background-color: #bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color: #bbb"> |Closed 1931; demolished; replaced by South Boulevard rowspan="4" |Rogers Park <style="background-color: #bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color: #bbb"> |Service discontinued December 20, 1976 <style="background-color: #bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color: #bbb"> |Service discontinued December 20, 1976 Uptown, Chicago rowspan="2" |Lake View, Chicago rowspan="3" |Lincoln Park, Chicago rowspan="3" |Near North Side, Chicago rowspan="12" |Chicago Loop <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Closed September 3, 2017; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wabash Template:Cta
(inner platform) <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Closed March 16, 2015; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wabash Template:Cta
(inner platform)Template:Cta
(inner platform)Template:Cta
(inner platform)Template:Cta
(inner platform) <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Closed January 30,1994; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wells Template:Cta
(inner platform) <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Template:Cta <style="background-color:#bbb"> |Closed July17,1995; partially demolished and replaced by Washington/Wells.

Location	Station	Connections
Wilmette	Template:Cta Template:Rint	Template:Rint Pace Buses: 421, 422, 423
Evanston	Isabella	Closed July 16, 1973; demolished
	Template:Cta	Template:Rint CTA Bus: 201
	Template:Cta
	Template:Cta
	Template:Cta	Template:Rint Metra: Template:Rcb (at ) Template:Rint CTA Buses: 93, 201, 206 Template:Rint Pace Buses: 208, 213, 250, 422 Template:Rint Pace Pulse: 101 Dempster Line
	Template:Cta	Template:Rint CTA Bus: 206 Template:Rint Pace Bus: 213
	Template:Cta	Template:Rint Metra: Template:Rcb (at ) Template:Rint CTA Bus: 206 Template:Rint Pace Bus: 213
	Template:Cta	Template:Rint CTA Bus: 206 Template:Rint Pace Bus: 213

Purple Line Express trains circle clockwise around the Inner Loop between Clark/Lake and Washington/Wells stations. After departing Washington/Wells, these trains proceed to Merchandise Mart before making all local stops back to Linden.

External links

• Purple Line on the official CTA website