Brown Line (CTA)

Route map:
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Brown Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
)
Brown Line
standard gauge
Minimum radius90 feet (27 m)
ElectrificationThird rail, 600 V DC
Operating speed40 mph (64 km/h)
Route map
Map Brown Line highlighted in brown
Legend
Park and ride Kimball
Kedzie
Francisco
Chicago River
North Branch
Rockwell
Western
UP-N to Kenosha
Damen
Metra Ravenswood
Montrose
Irving Park
Addison
UP-N to Ogilvie
Paulina
Southport
Purple Express
to Linden
Red to Howard
■ Belmont
Wellington
Diversey
■ Fullerton
Armitage
Sedgwick
Chicago
Grand
demolished 1970
Merchandise Mart
Chicago River
Clark/Lake
State/Lake
Blue to O'Hare
■ Lake
Randolph/Wells
closed 1995
Randolph/Wabash
demolished 2017
Washington/​Wells
Washington/
Wabash
Metra South Shore Line
Madison/Wells
demolished 1994
Madison/Wabash
demolished 2015
Quincy
Adams/Wabash
LaSalle/Van Buren
Library
Blue to Forest Park
Red to 95th/Dan Ryan
Bus interchange Bus connections at all open stations except
Kedzie, Francisco, Rockwell, Southport, and Wellington.
This diagram:

The Brown Line of the Chicago "L" system, is an 11.4-mile (18.3 km) route with 27 stations between Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood and downtown Chicago. It runs completely above ground and is almost entirely grade-separated. It is the third-busiest 'L' route, with an average of 28,315 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022.[1]

Before CTA lines were color-coded in 1993, the Brown Line was known as the Ravenswood Route; specifically, the series of stations from Belmont to

Kimball
were called the Ravenswood branch. Accordingly, the Kimball-Belmont shuttle service was called the Ravenswood Shuttle.

Route

Chicago 'L' north and southbound Purple and Brown lines intersecting with east and westbound Pink and Green lines and the looping Orange line above the Wells and Lake street intersection in the loop
.

The Brown Line begins on the northwest side of Chicago, at the Kimball terminal in Albany Park, where there is a storage yard and servicing shop for the trains to the east of the passenger station. From there, trains operate over street level tracks between Leland and Eastwood Avenues to Rockwell, then ramp up to the elevated structure for the rest of the trip.

The trains on the street-level section are powered by third rail rather than overhead catenary (the technology used by most other U.S. electric-powered at-grade rail systems), a decision that exposes wayward pedestrians to the risk of electrocution. A fatal accident in 1977 involving an intoxicated man, who did not speak English and was unable to read the posted warning signage, attempted to urinate on the third rail at the

Illinois Supreme Court decision in 1992 affirming a verdict of $1.5 million against CTA.[2]

After the

Lakeview. From just north of Belmont station south to Armitage, Brown and Red Line trains operate side by side, with Purple Line Express
trains sharing the tracks with the Brown Line during weekday rush hours. Brown and Purple Line trains run on the outermost tracks serving five stops, while Red Line trains run on the innermost tracks making only two stops.

South of the Armitage station, Brown and Purple Line trains continue southward towards the

Sedgwick and Chicago. Running over Franklin, then Wells Street, a stop is made at the Merchandise Mart before crossing the Chicago River on the upper level of the Wells Street Bridge before joining the Loop Elevated at Lake Street
. Operating counter-clockwise, Brown Line trains operate around the Loop on the Outer track via Wells-Van Buren-Wabash-Lake, serving all Loop stations, before the return trip back north to the Kimball terminal.

There are three sections of the Brown Line which includes the

North Side Main Line which connects from Belmont Avenue station to the Merchandise Mart before entering the Loop. The Brown Line enters the loop going counter-clockwise from Washington/​Wells to Clark/Lake
and then exits the loop, heading towards the Kimball Avenue station.

Operating hours and headways

The Brown Line operates between Kimball and

Belmont between 1:30 a.m. and 2:25 a.m. At Belmont, southbound riders can transfer to the 24-hour Red Line
. On weekdays, service runs between three and eight minutes during rush hour, seven to eight minutes during midday, then six to twelve minutes during nighttime.

On weekends, early morning service operates every fifteen minutes, then increases to seven to eight minutes on Saturdays during the day and ten minutes on Sundays during the day, then at nighttime every ten to twelve minutes. Late night service operates every fifteen minutes until the end of service, although late night trips from Kimball to Belmont stations operate every half hour Monday thru Saturday nights.

During morning rush hour, several Brown Line trains bound for the Loop continue toward the Orange Line after stopping at the Harold Washington Library station; whereas several Orange Line trains bound for Kimball continue as the Brown Line after stopping at Adams/Wabash station.[3]

Rolling stock

The Brown Line is operated with the

LED destination signs (similar to the 5000-series cars), new air conditioning systems, rebuilt propulsion systems, passenger door motors, and wheel/axle assemblies. The 3200-series rehabilitation began in 2015 and was completed in 2018. Later that year, some of the Brown Line's 3200-series cars were transferred to the Blue Line
, with some of the Orange Line's 2600-series cars being transferred to the Brown Line.

Beginning in March 2008, the Brown Line began running eight cars during rush hours, since all of the reopened or renovated stations have been rebuilt to accommodate eight cars.[4] Prior to this, although ridership certainly warranted eight cars on the Brown Line during weekday rush hours, most stations on the line couldn't berth longer than six cars. Early morning, midday, late evening, and weekend service is generally provided by four cars, although this may be extended to eight cars due to special events and holidays.

History

The

Western Avenue in Lincoln Square on May 18, 1907.[5] The route was completed to the Kimball terminal on December 14, 1907.[6]

The Kimball terminal was completely renovated and a new bridge over the North Branch of the

ADA accessible
stations on the Brown Line outside of the Loop.

Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project

The new Rockwell Station opened in August 2006.

The Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project which ran from 2004 to 2009 was undertaken to repair aging infrastructure and increase passenger capacity.[7] Work on the project began in late 2004 with signal upgrades, particularity at Clark Junction.[8] In February 2006, station reconstruction began with right-of-way modernization between Kimball and Rockwell Avenue. Traction power equipment and train control systems were upgraded and a new fiber optic communication network installed.[9]

Brown Line stations were rebuilt or modified meet ADA compliance and to accommodate eight-car trains, increasing from the previous maximum of six-cars.

Western, received small platform extensions but little other work, and the other 16 stations were completely rebuilt.[10]

The first two stations to be completed,

Rockwell, reopened on August 16, 2006,[11] and all of the stations had reopened by July 30, 2009, when the new Wellington station entered service.[12] The project was completed on December 31, 2009.[13]

Red-Purple Bypass

The Red & Purple Modernization Project includes a redesign of a

Lakeview neighborhood who organized a referendum to stop it.[15][16]

The Federal Transit Administration passed the CTA's environmental review on the bypass in January 2016 and received a $1.1 billion federal grant the following year.[17][18] Sixteen properties affected by the bypass were demolished, while the historic Vautravers Building was relocated 30 feet west to preserve it.[19] Construction on the bypass began on October 2, 2019,[20][21][22] and the bypass was opened to its first train at 4 a.m. on November 19, 2021.[23][24]

Station listing

Neighborhood Station Connections
Albany Park Kimball Disabled access Parking Bus interchange CTA Bus: 81, 82, 93
Kedzie Disabled access
Francisco Disabled access
Lincoln Square Rockwell Disabled access
Western Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 11, 49, 49B, X49
Damen Disabled access Mainline rail interchange Metra: ■ Union Pacific North (at Ravenswood)
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 50
Ravenswood Closed August 1, 1949
Lincoln Square/
North Center 		Montrose Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 78
North Center Irving Park Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 80
Addison Disabled access Bus interchange CTA buses: 152
Lake View Paulina Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 9
Southport Disabled access
Belmont Disabled access Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Red Purple
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 22, 77
Wellington Disabled access
Lincoln Park Diversey Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 76
Wrightwood Closed August 1, 1949
Fullerton Disabled access Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Red Purple
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 37, 74
Webster Closed August 1, 1949
Armitage Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 73
Willow Closed May 17, 1942
Halsted Closed August 1, 1949
Near North Side Larrabee Closed August 1, 1949
Sedgwick Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: N9, 37, 72
Schiller Closed August 1, 1949
Division Closed August 1, 1949
Oak Closed July 31, 1949
Chicago Disabled access Bus interchange CTA Bus: 37, 66
Grand Closed September 20, 1970
Kinzie
 Closed 1921; replaced by Grand
Merchandise Mart Disabled access Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Purple
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 37, 125
The Loop Randolph/Wells Closed July 17, 1995; partially demolished and replaced by Washington/Wells
Washington/​Wells Disabled access
(outer platform) 		Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Orange Purple Pink
Mainline rail interchange Metra: ■ Union Pacific North, ■ Union Pacific Northwest, ■ Union Pacific West (at Ogilvie Transportation Center)
Bus interchange CTA Bus: J14, 20, 37, 56, 60, 124, 157
Madison/Wells Closed January 30, 1994; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wells
Quincy Disabled access
(outer platform) 		Mainline rail interchange Metra: ■ BNSF, ■ Heritage Corridor, ■ Milwaukee District North, ■ Milwaukee District West, ■ North Central Service, ■ SouthWest Service (at Union Station)
Amtrak Amtrak long-distance: California Zephyr, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, Lake Shore Limited, Capitol Limited (at Union Station)
Amtrak Amtrak intercity: Hiawatha, Illini and Saluki, Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg, Cardinal, Pere Marquette, Wolverine, Blue Water, Lincoln Service (at Union Station)
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 1, 7, 28, 37, 126, 130, 151, 156
LaSalle/Van Buren
(outer platform) 		Mainline rail interchange Metra trains: ■ Rock Island (at LaSalle Street Station)
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 22, 24, 36, 130
Harold Washington Library Disabled access
(outer platform) 		Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Orange Purple Pink, Red (at Jackson), Blue (at Jackson)
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 2, 6, 10, 22, 24, 29, 36, 62, 146, 147
Adams/Wabash
(outer platform) 		Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Orange Green Purple Pink
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 1, 7, 28, 126, 151
Madison/Wabash Closed March 16, 2015; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wabash
Washington/​Wabash Disabled access
(outer platform) 		Mainline rail interchange Metra: ■ Metra Electric (at Millennium Station)
Mainline rail interchange NICTD: South Shore Line (at Millennium Station)
Bus interchange CTA Bus: J14, 20, 56, 60, 124, 147, 151, 157
Randolph/Wabash Closed September 3, 2017; demolished and replaced by Washington/Wabash
State/Lake
(outer platform)
Lake)
Bus interchange CTA Bus
: 2, 6, 10, 29, 36, 62, 146
Clark/Lake Disabled access
(outer platform) 		Metro interchange CTA 'L' trains: Blue Green Purple Orange Pink
Bus interchange CTA Bus: 22, 24, 134, 135, 136, 156
  • Note: After stopping at Clark/Lake, Brown Line trains return to Merchandise Mart, then make all stops back to Kimball.

References

  1. ^ a b "Annual Ridership Report - Calendar Year 2019" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. 2020-01-16. pp. 8–11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2021-04-04.
  2. ^ Lee v. Chicago Transit Authority, 152 Ill.2d 432, 605 N.E.2d 493 (1992).
  3. ^ "Brown Line Trains schedule" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. transitchicago.com. Retrieved December 2, 2017.
  4. ^ Press Release - Eight Car Service to Begin on Brown Line. transitchicago.com.
  5. ^ "New 'L' Line Operated". Chicago Daily Tribune. 19 May 1907.
  6. ISBN 978-0-7385-5100-5
    .
  7. ^ Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project. ctabrownline.com
  8. ^ Chicago Transit Authority (8 March 2006). "Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project March 8, 2006" (PDF). Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Chicago L.org: Operations - Lines -> Brown Line".
  10. ^ "Chicago L.org: Operations - Lines -> Brown Line".
  11. ^ Rockwell station, ctabrownline.com
  12. ^ "News/Informational articles".
  13. ^ "Countdown To A New Brown - The Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project".
  14. ^ "Red and Purple Modernization: Rebuilding Vital Infrastructure For Chicago's Future" (PDF). CTA. April 23, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-24. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  15. ^ Swartz, Tracy (March 2, 2015). "Chicago mayoral candidates sound off on transit priorities". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  16. ^ Swartz, Tracy (November 6, 2014). "Lakeview residents vote: CTA hasn't 'sufficiently justified' Belmont flyover". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  17. ^ Greenfield, John (January 26, 2016). "The controversial Belmont flyover has federal approval—but still faces other hurdles". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  18. ^ Dudek, Mitch (January 9, 2017). "Obama sends CTA $1.1 billion for Red Line improvements". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  19. ^ Yan, Jade. "CTA begins moving historic Lakeview house 30 feet west as part of Brown Line flyover project". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  20. ^ "StackPath".
  21. ^ "Work Begins on CTA's $2 Billion Red & Purple Modernization Project". 2 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Officials break ground on CTA Red, Purple Modernization Project". 2 October 2019.
  23. ^ Runge, Erik (19 November 2021). "CTA Brown Line flyover at Belmont begins service". WGN-TV. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  24. ^ Sarah, Freishtat. "CTA's new Brown Line flyover near Belmont to open to the public". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

External links

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