Red Line (CTA)
| Company type | Public agency |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago metropolitan area |
| Products | Public transit services (including the Red Line) |
| Owner | City of Chicago |
| Website | www |
The Red Line is a rapid transit route within Chicago, managed by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as an integral component of the Chicago "L" network. It holds the distinction of being the system's most heavily utilized line, with an average weekday ridership reaching 108,303 passengers in 2023. Covering a distance of , the line services 33 stations, beginning at Howard station located in the Rogers Park area on the North Side. From there, it travels elevated through the State Street subway beneath the Near North Side, Downtown, and Near South Side, before continuing along the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway to its southern terminus at 95th/Dan Ryan in the Roseland neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.
Similar to Chicago’s Blue Line, the Red Line operates without interruption 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year, positioning Chicago as one of only three global cities offering nonstop urban train service within city boundaries.
The CTA has announced plans for a extension that will add four new stations, stretching service beyond 95th Street to reach 130th Street. This project will extend the line to roughly 31 miles in length and increase station count to 37. In December 2022, the Chicago City Council authorized a special district designed to raise approximately $1 billion in tax revenue dedicated to financing this South Side expansion.
North Side Main Line
The northern endpoint of the Red Line lies at Howard station in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. From there, it proceeds southeast along an elevated embankment situated west of Lake Michigan up to Touhy Avenue, then turns southward following Glenwood Avenue until it arrives at Morse station.
The alignment then bends eastward toward Sheridan Road near Loyola University Chicago, continues south running parallel to Broadway through Edgewater, and follows Broadway down to Leland Avenue. At this juncture, the line shifts from a concrete embankment onto a steel elevated structure that runs adjacent to Graceland Cemetery, Irving Park Road, and Sheffield Avenue as it passes through Uptown into Lincoln Park. Just north of , tracks used by the Brown Line (Ravenswood branch) converge with those of the Red Line.
South of Belmont station, trains from the Red, Brown, and Purple Line Express services share a four-track segment known as the North Side "L" extending to . Within this stretch, Red Line trains occupy the two central tracks and make stops exclusively at and , bypassing , , and .
Notable sports facilities accessible via this route include Wrigley Field served by station and Guaranteed Rate Field accessed through station.
The North Side Main Line segment runs between Howard and Armitage stations.
State Street Subway
Beyond Armitage station, the Red Line descends into a portal located at Willow Street before entering the subway tunnel. It then proceeds southeast along Clybourn Avenue, turns east at Division Street, and continues southward beneath State Street through the heart of the Loop until reaching Roosevelt Road. South of Roosevelt, a track junction diverges with one pair curving eastward to exit at 13th Street. This connects to what was formerly part of the South Side "L" at 18th and State Streets. This segment was operational from October 1943 until February 1993 when trains originating from Howard were rerouted onto branches serving Englewood and Jackson Park—now incorporated into the Green Line’s southern branches.
Currently, the portal at 13th Street is reserved for non-revenue moves and emergency use. However, it was temporarily reopened for regular passenger service during phases of the Red Line South Reconstruction Project in 2013, 2017, and between 2018–2019 when trains were diverted onto the Green Line’s South Side Main Line, terminating at .
The Red Line is distinctive in providing continuous full-time connections to all seven other lines within Chicago’s "L" system; only during weekday peak hours does the Purple Line offer similar connectivity.
Dan Ryan branch
At 13th Street, the subway veers southwest, diverging from State Street, and ascends to a portal located at 16th Street near the Metra Rock Island District line. From there, the Red Line continues on an elevated track until it reaches 24th Street, where it stops at .
Beyond Cermak Road, the tracks enter the median of the Franklin Street Connector, then pass under the expressway interchange between 28th and 30th Streets through a tunnel. The route then proceeds within the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstate 90 & 94) until arriving at its terminal station in Roseland. Chicago was a pioneer in integrating rapid transit lines within expressway medians; the Dan Ryan branch is one of three such corridors, alongside sections of the Blue Line.
The 98th Yard is situated near the junction of the Dan Ryan and Bishop Ford Freeway. Southward from this point, both expressways extend without transit lines but feature broad medians designed to accommodate future transit expansions. Plans are nearing completion for an extension reaching 130th Street, which will include elevated stops at 103rd, 111th, Michigan Avenue, and a ground-level terminal at 130th.
Stations along the Red Line provide access to prominent Chicago destinations such as Rate Field and Illinois Institute of Technology (), DePaul University (), Roosevelt University's historic Auditorium Building (), Loyola University Chicago (), the upscale shopping district known as the Magnificent Mile (), and Chinatown ().
In May 2013, the Dan Ryan branch along with its nine stations was closed for a five-month period to facilitate track replacement and station renovations. Service resumed on the refurbished branch in October 2013.
Rolling stock
The Red Line utilizes Bombardier-manufactured 5000-series railcars. Between 2012 and October 2013, during weekday peak periods, it operated with 2400-series cars. From 1993 until 2015, 2600-series cars were also in service. As deliveries of the 5000-series increased, many of the Red Line’s 2600-series cars were reassigned to other lines to replace aging 2400-series vehicles. Between October 2013 and April 2014, some 2600-series units were transferred to the Purple Line, before moving to the Blue Line starting June 2014 due to their relatively newer condition. Subsequently, older Blue Line 2600-series cars were reallocated to the Orange Line as temporary substitutes for its 2400-series fleet. By October 2014, all Orange Line 2400-series cars had been replaced with these transferred 2600-series units, allowing the Red Line to operate exclusively with 5000-series railcars.
Operating hours and headways
Like the Blue Line, the Red Line provides continuous service around the clock. During weekday rush hours, trains run at a frequency of up to 30 trains per hour (tph), which decreases to approximately 8 tph during midday and nighttime periods. On Saturdays, service starts at a rate of 6 tph in early morning hours before increasing to between 10 and 11 tph during daytime, then tapering back to about 8 tph overnight. Sundays begin with early morning service at 6 tph, rising to 8 tph through early evening hours before returning to a late-night frequency of 6 tph. Overnight operations from midnight until roughly 5:30 a.m. maintain intervals of every 10–15 minutes (4–6 tph).
History
The earliest portion of the line began service on May 31, 1900, running from the Loop to Wilson, and was built by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. On May 16, 1908, the route was extended to Central Street in Evanston by utilizing leased electrified tracks owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. In November 1913, a through-routing system was established connecting North Side and South Side "L" lines via the Loop. The segment at ground level between Leland Avenue and Howard Street was elevated and expanded to four tracks in 1922.
The State Street subway commenced operations on October 17, 1943, introducing an express route that bypassed Loop tracks and shortened one-way travel times by as much as eleven minutes. This subway served some north–south trains while others continued using the traditional "L" elevated tracks.
In August 1949, service patterns were adjusted to improve efficiency within the Central Business District, linking the Howard branch with the Englewood and Jackson Park branches through the State Street subway.
The Dan Ryan Branch debuted in September 1969 and was paired with the Lake Street branch to create the Lake–Dan Ryan route, which operated over Lake Street and Wabash Avenue sides of the Union Loop. This arrangement was intended as a temporary measure ahead of a now-canceled Loop Subway Project but remained in place for 24 years.
During the late 20th century, shifts in passenger demand—particularly increased ridership on the Dan Ryan line—led CTA to optimize operations by combining heavily traveled lines. In February 1993, a new connection was opened linking the State Street subway south of Roosevelt with Cermak–Chinatown. This change paired the Howard branch with the Dan Ryan branch to form the Red Line, while the Lake Street branch was combined with Englewood/Jackson Park branches as the Green Line. This restructuring freed up capacity within the Loop for the introduction of the Orange Line serving Midway Airport. The former Lake–Dan Ryan tracks continue to be used for non-revenue train movements.
The Dan Ryan Branch underwent a comprehensive infrastructure overhaul that concluded in early 2007. Upgrades included enhancements to power systems, signaling equipment, station lighting, and accessibility features. The CTA has plans to increase Red Line train lengths from eight cars to ten cars.
Red Ahead rehabilitation
In spring 2012, CTA initiated the "Red Ahead" program focused on station and track rehabilitation, beginning with work on the North Side Main Line under the "Red North" segment. This initiative covered nearly all stations along the Red Line except Loyola, Bryn Mawr, Sheridan, Wilson stations, as well as stations between Wilson and Fullerton and those within the State Street subway. Starting in May 2012, renovations were carried out at North Side Main Line stations including Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle, and Lawrence. The project commenced in June 2012 and reached completion by December of that year. It is part of a larger effort known as Red Ahead’s "Red & Purple Modernization" Project.
A key component of this modernization involves replacing a diamond junction located north of Belmont Station with a flyover designed exclusively for Brown Line trains. This change aims to alleviate congestion and improve train flow. Despite resistance from 2015 mayoral candidate Chuy García and Lakeview community members who organized a referendum opposing it, federal authorities approved the environmental review in January 2016. Subsequently, CTA secured a $1.1 billion federal grant in 2017 to support construction. Sixteen properties affected by this flyover project were demolished prior to construction starting on October 2, 2019. The flyover officially began operation on November 19, 2021.
Proposed extension
Since 2006, initiatives have sought to extend the Red Line southward beyond 95th Street. The CTA initially explored nine potential routes, including alignments along the medians of the Bishop Ford Freeway and Interstate 57. By April 2007, the evaluation was refined to five alternatives: two designated for bus rapid transit (BRT) along Halsted Street or Michigan Avenue, and three for heavy rail—covering the Halsted and Michigan corridors (either underground or elevated) as well as the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated or in a trench), with connections extending toward the South Shore Line.
In October 2008, the CTA commissioned a $150,000 study to investigate extending service from 95th Street to 130th Street in Riverdale. By December of that year, options were further narrowed to two corridors: Halsted Street (either BRT or elevated heavy rail) and the Union Pacific corridor (elevated heavy rail). In December 2009, the Union Pacific corridor was chosen by the CTA as the locally preferred alternative.
The planned route involves constructing a new elevated rail segment between 95th/Dan Ryan and a terminus at 130th Street. This extension would run parallel to the Union Pacific Railroad and South Shore Line through Far South Side neighborhoods such as Roseland, Washington Heights, West Pullman, and Riverdale. Proposed stations include stops at 103rd, 111th, Michigan Avenue, with a new rail yard situated at 120th Street. Preliminary engineering and environmental review processes commenced around 2010.
In August 2024, the CTA awarded a $2.3 billion contract to Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners for building this four-station extension. The overall project budget is projected at $5.3 billion, with construction anticipated to take place from late 2025 until approximately 2030.
Station listing
| Location | Station | Connections |
|---|---|---|
| Rogers Park | Template:Cta Disabled access Template:Rint | Template:Rint Chicago "L": Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Template:Rint CTA Buses: 22, 97, 147, 201, 206 Template:Rint Pace buses: 213, 215, 290, 422 |
| Template:Cta | ||
| Template:Cta | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 96, 155 | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 147, 155 | |
| Edgewater | Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 136, 147, 151 |
| Template:Cta | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 136, 147, 151 | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 84, 136, 147, 151 | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 92, 136, 146, 147, 151 | |
| Uptown | Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 151 |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 81, 151 | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint Chicago "L": Template:Rcb Template:Rint CTA Buses: 36, 78, 151 | |
| Lake View | Template:Cta | Template:Rint CTA Buses: X9, 80, 151 |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses: 22,152 | |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint Chicago "L": Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Template:Rint CTA Buses:22 ,77 | |
| Lincoln Park | Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint Chicago "L": Template:Rcb Template:Rcb Template:Rint CTA Buses:37 ,74 |
| Near North Side | Template:Cta | Template:Rint CTA Buses:8 ,N9 ,72 |
| Template:Cta Disabled access | Template:Rint CTA Buses:22 ,36 ,70 ,156 | |
| {cta Grand Red} {access icon} | {rint bus} {list of chicago transit authority bus routes cta buses}:29 ,36 ,65 | |
| {rowspan=5} Near North Side (cont.) | {cta Lake} {access icon} | {rint chicago metra} Metra trains: {rcb metra me inline=square} (at Millennium Station) {rint nictd} NICTD South Shore Line (at Millennium Station) {rint chicago l} Chicago "L": {rcb CTA Blue inline=route} (at Washington Blue), {rcb CTA Brown inline=route} {rcb CTA Green inline=route} {rcb CTA Pink inline=route} {rcb CTA Purple inline=route} {rcb CTA Orange inline=route} (at State/Lake) {rint bus} CTA buses:2 ,6 ,10 ,29 ,36 ,62 ,146 ,148 Originally part of Washington. Was called Lake–Washington (1996–1997). |
| {cta Washington Red} | Closed October23 ,2006 | |
| {cta Monroe Red} | {rint bus } CTA buses :2 ,6 ,10 ,J14 ,20 ,22 ,24 ,29 ,36 ,56 ,60 ,62 ,124 ,146 ,147 ,148 ,151 ,157 | |
| {cta Jackson Red} {access icon} | {rint chicago l} CTA Blue (at Jackson Blue), Brown Pink Purple Orange (at Library) {rint bus} CTA buses :1 ,2 ,6 ,7 ,10 ,28 ,29 ,36 ,62 ,126 ,146 ,147 ,148 ,151 | |
| {cta Harrison} | {rint bus } CTA buses :2 ,6 ,10 ,29 ,62 ,146 ,148 | |
| The Loop / Near South Side | {cta Roosevelt } {access icon} | {rint chicago l } Orange Green {rint chicago metra } Metra trains (Museum Campus/11th Street) {rint nictd } NICTD South Shore Line (Museum Campus/11th Street) {rint bus } CTA buses :1 ,3 ,4 ,X4 ,12 ,18 ,29 ,62 ,130 ,146 ,192 |
| rowspan="2" Armour Square | {cta Cermak–Chinatown } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :21 ,24 ,62 |
| {cta Sox–35th } {access icon} | {rint chicago metra } Metra trains (35th Street) {rint bus } CTA buses :24 ,31 ,35 ,39 | |
| rowspan="2" Fuller Park | {cta47th Red } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :15 ,24 ,43 ,47 ,51 |
| {cta Garfield Red } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :24 ,55 ,59 | |
| Englewood | {cta63rd } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :24 ,63 |
| Greater Grand Crossing | {cta69th } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :N5 .29 .30 .61 .71 .169 |
| Greater Grand Crossing / Chatham | {cta79th } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :8A .24 .29 .75 .79 |
| Chatham | {cta87th } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :29 .87 |
| Roseland | {cta95th/Dan Ryan } {access icon} | {rint bus } CTA buses :3 .4 .N4 .X4 .N5 .N9 .29 .34 .95 .100 .103 .106 .108 .111 .112 .115 .119 Pace buses :352 .353 .381 .395 FlixBus Greyhound Lines |
| Roseland / Washington Heights | {cta103rd } {access icon} | Proposed station |
| Roseland | {cta111th } {access icon} | Proposed station |
| West Pullman | {cta Michigan } {access icon} | Proposed station |
| Riverdale | {cta130th } {access icon} | Proposed station |
Rail Yards
The Red Line is supported by two primary rail yards: Howard Yard, which serves the northern section, and 98th Yard, designated for the southern portion. Additionally, a new facility, 120th Yard, has been proposed to accommodate the planned extension of the Red Line.