Neighborhood News: The CTA Holiday Train spreads holiday cheer citywide
Ever since 1992, if you’re boarding the Chicago Transit Authority‘s (CTA) Green, Pink, Purple, Blue, Yellow, or Orange ‘L’ lines at designated times from late November to late December, commuters can experience the colorful lights and holiday cheer of the CTA Holiday Train.
Today, according to the Austin Weekly News, the Holiday Train is so much more, as it has become a symbol of community service, distributing more than 11,400 food baskets. For 2024, CTA employees will deliver about 400 baskets containing a full holiday meal, including canned ham, potatoes, mixed vegetables and dessert, as well as taking passengers to and from their stops.
History
According to the CTA’s website, the train began on the Blue Line 33 years ago, when a “Season’s Greetings from the CTA” sign was placed on the front of an out-of-service train used to deliver food to various charities. Over the years, this holiday tradition has evolved from its modest and humble beginnings to a spectacular, joyous sight to see in daytime or nighttime.
The Holiday Train narrowly avoided being shut down by CTA president Frank Kruesi after the budget cuts of 2004, according to Wikipedia sources. A spokesman said, “It didn’t seem appropriate to devote resources to this project when 1,250 positions are being eliminated.” He was, however, overruled by CTA board chair Carole Brown.
Today the cost to the CTA to run the train is minimal. Decorations are reused from year to year or donated by CTA employees. As the trains run regular service, most workers are either on their regular schedules or volunteering their time.
Today
Each car of the train is wrapped with holiday and seasonal images. Thousands of twinkling lights outline the shape of the train and windows, with even more lights running across the tops of the cars.
As the train pulls into each station, Santa waves to riders from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar carrying his reindeer and decorated holiday trees. And, as Chicago Parent observes, even in the most frigid temps, you’ll find Santa outside on his sleigh while his elves hand out candy canes to passengers inside the train car.
Remaining Holiday Train Schedule:
The Holiday Train will ride the Red Line on Thursday, December 19, departing at the Howard Station to 95th/Dan Ryan at 3:13pm, and 95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:46. On to the Purple Line on Friday, December 20, departingHoward to Linden at 3:45pm, and going Linden to Loop, via express, at 4:20pm, and circling the Loop (from Merchandise Mart) to Linden at 5:21pm, then Linden to Howard at 6:20pm.
Finally, on the Yellow Line Skokie Swift Bird on Monday, December 23, all trains on Yellow Line will be 2-car Holiday Trains for service departing Howard from 3:08 until 6:53pm, and the Dempster-Skokie from 3:31pm until 7:16pm.
Photos with Santa
This Saturday, December 21, take your picture with Santa on the Red Line (Far South to Far North Sides of Chicago) and Purple Line(Downtown to Evanston). The train departs Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 12:36pm, the 95th/Dan Ryan to Linden at 3:21pm, and Linden to Howard at 6:51pm.
Tips for boarding/riding the Holiday Train
The CTA’s website has lots of tips to help make the trip enjoyable for all:
- Plan ahead and allow extra travel time.
- You can also track the whereabouts of Santa using CTA Train Tracker, which will indicate the Holiday Train with a candy cane.
- Travel light: With many families making the train a part of their holiday traditions, small collapsible strollers are encouraged so that you and others have an opportunity to board the train.
- Boarding: The train/bus will become more crowded as it travels down its route; therefore, we recommend customers consider the following:
- Board at a station/stop close to the beginning of the route. Unlike other in-service trains/buses, many people who board the train or bus often stay on board until it reaches the end of its route—and will then take it back home if it is scheduled to make a return trip.
- Railcars toward the front or back of the train will be less crowded compared to those immediately adjacent to Santa’s sleigh.
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
