CTA Loop Track Maintenance Brings Weekend Route Changes and Shuttle Service

The CTA is performing track maintenance at Tower 18, the rail junction at Lake and Wells in downtown Chicago, during the weekend of Oct. 24. Brown, Green, Orange and Pink Line trains will not serve the elevated Loop tracks from 4 a.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Monday.

The work affects 11 stations. According to the CTA, Tower 18 is among the nation's busiest rail interlockings and needs this kind of maintenance roughly once a decade. For people traveling downtown, the weekend service plan includes shortened train routes, connections to other rail lines and shuttle buses near Loop stations.

Pink Line trains will be diverted after Polk to the Racine Blue Line station rather than continuing into the Loop. Riders can use the Blue Line for the downtown portion of their trip. That connection provides a rail alternative while the elevated tracks are unavailable.

Brown Line service will operate between Kimball and Merchandise Mart. The Red Line is another option for downtown travel during the work, and shuttle buses will make stops near Loop stations. Riders whose usual Brown Line trip continues beyond Merchandise Mart will need to account for the temporary endpoint when planning their journey.

Orange Line trains will run between Midway Airport and Roosevelt. Shuttle buses will connect Roosevelt and Clinton, providing an onward option for passengers who normally stay aboard an Orange Line train into the Loop.

Green Line trains will operate in two sections: between Harlem/Lake and Clinton, and between Roosevelt and the line's South Side terminus. Shuttle buses will replace train service between Clinton and Roosevelt. The temporary arrangement means riders traveling across downtown on the Green Line will use a bus connection between the two rail segments.