New CTA 5000-series 'L' Cars at Jackson

An 8-car train of CTA's brand-new 'L' cars, the 5000-series, leaves Jackson in the State Street Subway on the Red Line, toward 95th/Dan Ryan. (Incidentally, the "5000" designation has been used before, for CTA's articulated cars built in 1947) The new cars are built by Bombardier, and though they appear outwardly like the 3200-series, CTA's next-newest, they are thoroughly modern and updated.

The biggest difference is in the fact that they have AC propulsion, not DC like the rest of the system, for a much smoother, quieter ride. They have side panels to discourage graffiti, LED destination signs both inside and out, new door chimes (though they are a bit quiet...), electronic route and system maps that display where along the route the train is located, GPS tracking systems, a "black box" event recorder to help locate any defects, LED headlights, clearer announcement systems, a hydraulic levelling system to align the cars with old or uneven platforms, and (most controversially), aisle-facing seating throughout for the first time in Chicago transit history, instead of forward/backward facing seats.

The result is a high-tech, much smoother, and (I think), much better ride on the 'L' and subways. The 5000-series is eventually scheduled to replace the oldest cars on the system, the Budd-built 2200's, and the Boeing-Vertol 2400s, used on the Blue Line and Green and Purple Lines, respectively. Currently, there are only 10 of the cars, all running on the Red Line for in-service testing, but up to (roughly) 400 more are on possible order for CTA.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• CTA
• El
• Red Line
• subway
• 5000
• Bombardier
• new L cars
• train
• transit
• rapid transit
• State St Subway
• Jackson
• station
• Chicago
• Loop

[myrickstargames]

Why are stations so long? its probably the length of probably 8 to 10 average 75ft long NYC subway cars

[Nachtwolf1]

@myrickstargames The platform in the State Street Subway is a continuous so that three (originally four) actual train stops share the same, very long, platform. This is so that no matter which aboveground entrance a passenger enters at, all they have to do is walk in either direction down the platform to get to a station. I think this was partly to let people avoid the nasty winters in Chicago by walking below ground instead of on the street, to get to their train.

[Pokestar9]

is this in chicago?

[Nachtwolf1]

@Pokestar9 Yes

[ABilly05]

when these trains depart at 0:38, it reminds me of the R142's they have in NYC

[Amtrak1194]

@XxLiLGiJoE17xX Chicago's subways run at up to 60 mph,

last I checked, NYCTA ran at only 45 mph,

may be the longest, but not fastest or cleanest subway in all of America...

[Pokestar9]

@Andrew1224gd Oh yeah LOL! That's okay! :)

[Andrew1224gd]

@Pokestar9 typo "pink line"

[Pokestar9]

@ABilly05 Ah, both!

[Pokestar9]

@Andrew1224gd Pink link? What's that?

[Andrew1224gd]

@Pokestar9 The "El"

the whole city is divided into different colored train lines blue line, pink link, green line, brown line, red line,etc

[ABilly05]

@pokestar9 train or line?

[Pokestar9]

@Nachtwolf1 cool! i never been in chicago, but i already wanna ride the awsome, what's the subway in Chicago called?