A McKinley Park rider wrote to "Going Public" about bunching on the Orange Line. The CTA response is after the jump.
"What's with the train bunching on the morning Orange Line? For the past month, there has been an Orange Line that converts to a Brown Line train at Roosevelt ("Run 7-11"). It is inconvenient for two main reasons: 1) Normal train and 'conversion' train travel too close together 2) Gap between 'conversion' train and next train is too long.
I take the train to work at the 35th/Archer stop. Everyday the first train arrives at its normal 7:11 a.m., but the second train arrives between 30 seconds -- one minute later. In fact, there have been at least three occasions when the first train was still visible as the second train arrived. How is that safe? Why is it that any other time the trains run that close together, you have the excuse to delay the second train? And why are you catering to the North Siders?
Because the conversion train runs so close to the first train, that second train has too many empty seats. And then the train arriving after the conversion train is delayed and packed with riders. You have basically eliminated the train that I rely on to get to work on time. Now I have to go through the trouble of rushing or taking your conversion train. What gives?"
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CTA rider: What's with bunching on Orange Line?
The CTA responded: "This reader brings up a number of questions.
In regards to the Orange Line train that converts to Brown Line, there is one trip on weekdays during the morning rush that is scheduled to leave Midway Orange Line station at 7:02 a.m., and arrive downtown at approximately 7:26 a.m. This train is converted into a Brown Line train at Roosevelt in order for the rail car to travel to Kimball, which is the Brown Line terminal. This allows an extra Brown Line train to operate in the peak direction during the height of the morning rush.
Maintaining safe operations is a priority. Rail operators receive signals in their operating cab through an automatic train control signal system that coordinates train movement and helps maintain the trains at a safe distance from one another. If a signal indicates that an operator should slow down or stop and the operator does not, then the signal system automatically stops the train."
In regards to the Orange Line train that converts to Brown Line, there is one trip on weekdays during the morning rush that is scheduled to leave Midway Orange Line station at 7:02 a.m., and arrive downtown at approximately 7:26 a.m. This train is converted into a Brown Line train at Roosevelt in order for the rail car to travel to Kimball, which is the Brown Line terminal. This allows an extra Brown Line train to operate in the peak direction during the height of the morning rush.
Maintaining safe operations is a priority. Rail operators receive signals in their operating cab through an automatic train control signal system that coordinates train movement and helps maintain the trains at a safe distance from one another. If a signal indicates that an operator should slow down or stop and the operator does not, then the signal system automatically stops the train."
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2 Comments
Ryan Kiefer said:
Strangely enough, the conversion train is actually very convenient for me.
I live on the South Side and endure daily an hour-and-a-half commute by public transit to college. About fifteen minutes of that is waiting at the Clark/Lake stop for a transfer from the Orange Line to the Brown. A Brown Line train seems to always be leaving just as the Orange Line train arrives. I've managed to catch the hybrid-line train twice so far and it has shaved a lot of time, and stress, off my trip.
Jen said:
The conversion trains do make sense when you think about it, and are essentially necessary in a way. Brown line trains, as far as I have noticed are generally parked at the end of the night at the midway yard (please correct me if I am mistaken,) so it makes sense that they would need to turn from orange to brown before starting their kimball run.
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