CTA's Ride the Rails: Purple Line Real-time (2019) v1.1

[@micheledreams4771]

I can’t get over how long this ride is. I didn’t realize how big Chicago truly is! Boy do I have a lot of exploring to do when I move there! 😊

[@akis.4493]

This just goes downtown and back, never even comes near the south or west sides of the city.

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

Lot's of great places to explore just make sure you do research on the area before you go and try not to go alone to stay safe

[@BenjaminWillis-24]

Purple Line Express only runs on weekdays rush hours only but after rush hour time it only just goes to Howard and back to Linden and on weekends the Purple Line only goes from Howard to Linden all day

[@c4mstack1n]

@@akis.4493 This makes it even more exciting to explore in my opinion.

[@chrisfinch8637]

It's been a long time coming and we finally get to see a full-length version of Going from Linden to the Loop, and back. Thank you, C.T.A.

[@robertreeves7675]

Polar Bear Ice Land

[@americangiant1003]

Yup. Not counting transferring flights at O' Hare only been in Chicago a couple of time so far in my life. Most recent stay (not counting stopovers at O'hare)was in Summer of 2001. Stayed at a hotel right near the Rosemont Station on the Blue line's O'Hare branch. Did not get a chance to ride any of the Loop though sadly. Nice to finally view on a YT Video in a "real time "ride during a Rush Hour (looks like late summer/early fall when this video was taken). So basically I have only been on the Blue and Red Lines before. Next trip to Chicago I will ride the Loop no doubt. And hopefully visit for 1st time Wrigley Field too. As someone that was raised in NYC, the 4 Loop Line Trains reminds me of the NYC Subway's Lex Local aka the #6 line. Technically while the Downtown Manhattan Local "terminal" for the #6 line is the Brooklyn Bridge/NYC City Hall station, its makes a loop at a nearby Closed Station and then returns going towards it's Bronx Terminal in Pelham Bay Park. That loop on the Lex Local Line in NYC is done without a change of crew aka the Train Operator.

[@dpbl9931]

I would like to thank you once again for the safe and punctual rides with the CTA, which I was able to use every day during my stay in Chicago! Thanks to all the employees of CTA! Greetings from Fuerth, Germany!

[@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife]

There is now a flyover at the Clark interlocking before the Belmont station. Now the delays for crossover brown line trains are significantly reduced! On behalf of all of Chicago we do hope you'll visit again!

[@goodnyc]

From a former NYC subway rider, CTA is a great rail system. I like it a little more because they run mostly outside.

[@dubreil07]

NYC has more tracks outside based off miles. Thats just how big the nyc subway is

[@0clockedin0]

Can't wait to see videos like this in VR, where I can turn my head any direction & see the city as I'm passing through.

[@Explore531]

lol that would be kick ass on the VR,

[@keithbrown4683]

Being a employee and user of the NYC Transit system, I can easily tell u CTA system is a Gr8 joy 2 ride 👍

[@davidpanton3192]

Love the way you've got a station called just 'Central'. Now that's confidence.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

It’s named after the street

[@alexanderwitt9159]

yes pls use common sense street names

[@MrT571]

There's one other on the Green Line but it's a different street.

[@willr4318]

Central is the name of the street

[@chrisfinch8637]

@@MrT571 There’s even one on the Blue Line, but that’s been abandoned since 1973, along with Kostner and California.

[@akduh01]

Spectacular train operator. Fly baby! Fly! Love the high-speed operating from Howard on down towards the Loop.

[@dalewunderlich]

CTA wooden platforms are a national treasure, and the Purple Line has its fair share.

[@DerekDtj]

Probably your best presentation of the CTA, due to the length of the route, the sunny day and gorgeous scenery. Along with the winter night ride into Chitown through the snow, that's my other favorite guys! Keep up the wonderful photography! This from an old NYC dweller who rode the tunnels as a kid all over Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn!

[@danielkralcz]

And best scene is in 35:52 , where some guy is carrying a mattress 😂

[@tiffanythomas7298]

The platforms are extremely long

[@nuyorican1985]

Chicago's CTA subway and the New York City MTA in my opinion are two of the best systems in the country. They may not be the newest, or the cleanest but they are definitely the best....

[@tomsuh1362]

Yes, I think NYC is also the cheapest because for $2.75 you can ride from one end of the line to the other end at the same price.

[@tomsuh1362]

Also we have more subway line than Chicago.

[@ancelmosalgado4585]

@@tomsuh1362 for 2.75 You could also ride one end of the city too the other and transfer too other lines in the loop downtown Chicago

[@ancelmosalgado4585]

@@tomsuh1362 Chicago has the CTA and METRA trains running thru the city and out into the suburbs of Chicago .So NYC doesn't really have that much more train lines than Chicago

[@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife]

@@tomsuh1362 CTA is $2.25 with mostly free transfers other lines or if there is one it's like $0.25 or $0.30.

[@Bigbro28]

G'day from Oz. I find these CTA videos very relaxing and have watched each line several times. Excellent viewing. 🐨.

[@ramonerhule8691]

This purple line is fast ride ,As a nyc resident I enjoy watching CTA lines they r kinda similar to ours. I gotta give a special thanks to all the ppl from during 1903-1933 for building our train systems because without them ppl wouldn’t enjoy things 💯.

[@andrewvanasco-zd4tv]

i love the cta

[@BroadwayLTDProductions]

I used to work in Evanston and sometimes after work I would ride this to the loop and then to Fullerton (this was before the Wilson station was completed) on the way back north then hop over to the red line to my stop at Granville just for the heck of it.

[@antonv.]

nice and relaxing ride!! :)

[@jameswoods9238]

I love this video, my favorite line on the CTA (Red Line with Purple Line Extension). The day looked fantastic with all the green foliage and the sky being the perfect blue. If I couldn't be on the train itself, seeing this video is the next best thing.

[@williammunford476]

Wow great vidieo thank you 😅❤

[@derekharris4922]

This is a wonderful ride! Everything looks so peaceful and clean.

[@MtF_EeepyGrill_Leah_QT3.14]

I dont even live in the us and enjoyed this video. Such a nice city. Greetings from the UK

[@chrissnelia8599]

YES trains most at the time are always delayed at Liverpool

[@Thatguyjack758]

thank you and we try

[@karlpiepenburg3157]

I have a photo of a great great uncle who worked on this line way back in 1911. He’s posed on the front of wooden car number 10. Pretty cool how this line was built (in segments) at the beginning of the 20th century and is still vital today

[@hsun7997]

CTA is probably the best public transportation system in North America honestly

[@abdulinniss3287]

Better than NY?

[@Abandoned-q1t]

Yes it’s better nyc people have been getting hurt and stuff

[@bowler7922]

*cough cough* MTA is better *cough cough*

[@vortexworldsword6784]

@@bowler7922 at least we are elevated and not dirty like your underground filths

[@AlanMRamadhan]

@@abdulinniss3287 when I visited NYC. The MTA subway is kinda confusing for me. CTA is easier to navigate

[@joewebb4495]

If anyone has ever heard of or seen the movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, at 58:54, the train stops at LaSalle/Van Buren, the same train station, Steve Martin’s character took the train home from

[@general5104]

Relaxing. For many years, have I worked on the power of trains, and did a lot of hostling, but never got out on the main. It was very relaxing. I haven't had time to watch the whole video yet, but, what I HAVE seen, is relaxing. I had wished I could have heard the throtteling-up and back, but maybe, thats further on in the video. THANK YOU for capturing the feed & posting it.

[@hartmutlorentzen9659]

CTA videos are the best of public transportation in the US! Thanks for presentation, from Germany

[@JMD422]

Awesome video!! it would be so nice if you'd make a 2025 edition!!

[@jedediah667]

This video is great for helping me concentrate when I write - I can let it play on my TV in the background and stare at it while I think about the next sentence :D

[@laszlomadon5059]

It's a good idea, thanks a lot, i'll try it!

[@pietk503]

I do the same! The noice in the background helps focusing a lot! It gives your bored brain someting to listen to without getting to distracted.

[@robrobson3930]

Bookscorpion Same here

[@OnkelJajusBahn]

Verry beautiful line. I love the fact, that you can see so much green from a mass rapit transit vehicle.

[@kevinb8881]

CTA Purple Line Express hustling up and down the North Side Main, WOOO!!!

[@qjtvaddict]

Needs to be an all day service

[@michaelbrinkers1145]

But today's purple line express is not as fast as when I was a boy during the early 1960s, going from Evanston to my piano lessons in Chicago loop. Then, the rail cars "sang" and were made of WOOD, and the train made no stops between Howard and the Merchandise Mart. It was REAL express then!!!

[@jreid2171]

This is just incredible

[@everettthepetractionguy4222]

Nice scenery and beautiful blue skies.

[@alwayslight2658]

I am not from USA. My interest here is a railway cab view drive and this is the best of the best cab ride video that I have seen: quality camera on clean window, filmed on sunny day when driving away from sun, with interesting info that you can enjoy or switch off. It could not be done better. It should be used as a raw model for any future cab drive video - which I can dream only. For those who are thinking to do similar videos: Use this quality level as standard. And have in mind that you can ''only'' film video and publish it with no information added - beside the description of the departure and arrival city/location. You can than ask viewers to use open railway map to follow the ride. Stay well, drive safe.

[@alabamared2568]

I used to drive to Indiana from Rockford once a day coming in on the Kennedy to the Ryan to the skyway and back I always seen the cta flyin center tracks on the Kennedy and Ryan but doing that route for almost 16 years I never explored Chicago I'm very impressed with the CTA and this purple line 💜 I'd wish many times stuck in traffic inbound or outbound whilst CTA was flyin by and there I sat...great video CTA!!!

[@angelmalarkey7946]

I like how red and purple line are races.

[@darionrobinson1]

This is great to see the full version of this line.

[@Solitaryman70]

That Purple Line Express be HAMMER DOWN. 😝

[@bluelava4282]

Beautiful Views nice scenery

[@8avexp]

Back in the day, this was the Evanston Express. It ran nonstop between Howard and Merchandise Mart. I remember wanting to ride on one years ago and my late aunt replied, "It doesn't stop anywhere!"

[@michaelbrinkers1145]

And back then, wasn't the Linden-Howard portion, electrified overhead....where the driver/conductor had to manually hook up/down a trolley?

[@8avexp]

@@michaelbrinkers1145 Yes, it was. That's why they kept a group of 4000-Series Plushies for as long as they did. Those cars had both third rail shoes and trolley poles. Once they installed third rail along the Evanston stretch, the last 4000s were retired.

[@michaelbrinkers1145]

@@8avexp And none of my younger friends believe me, when I said a portion of the Ravenswood (Brown Line), I believe west of Western, was also electrified overhead....but as a boy, I remember there was something different about this line....I even remember some of the cars painted red (instead of the standard yellow/green.

[@8avexp]

@@michaelbrinkers1145 Yes, the outer portion had overhead wires and was served by the 4000s. Most of them were painted green and yellow (or was it cream?) in the late 50s.

[@Bobrogers99]

1949 was a big year for station closures. I note one long stretch where apparently four tracks were reduced to two.

[@karlpiepenburg3157]

When the Subway opened the need for four tracks wasn’t as great, and the end of the North Shore Line in 1963, which used the outer tracks, greatly reduced their necessity

[@louky264]

Honestly many of the stations needed to be closed as they were too close to other stations. And some of the '49 closures were restored decades later, notably Morgan and Skokie-Oakton in 2012

[@pxbaa]

This trip needs to be redone since we stopped short of Belmont to let a Brown line train through. A bypass is in place now with a totally reconfigured layout eliminating need to stop . Who wants to redo this lovey trip?

[@Jo_Chen_HH]

Very interesting video with informative comments about the route and historical information about the stations.👍 Next time I'm in USA, Chicago will be on my list...greetings from Hamburg/Germany 😊

[@Thomas1980]

Nice Film! Thumbs up!

[@0clockedin0]

I love the dense urban landscape, long before you see the city center.

[@paulwinkfield6560]

Awesome! I've been wanting to visit Chitown forever, but my career prevented, I'm a model trolley & RR guy and wanted to visit the hobby shop there, but specially to ride those L trains! I was just looking at their transit maps, 2 days ago thinking, wish someone made videos, and yours popped up!

[@ZenithalPoint]

That express section was refreshing to watch!

[@tombigou54]

Je suis ravi d'avoir fait ce parcours et découvrir Chicago par métro aérien, une très belle ville à dimension humaine.

[@charlie.on.youtube]

I can't believe these videos are coming up on five years old. 😳

[@embwhitton9792]

A pleasure to watch, the technology is well worked. Thanks!

[@anmolmehta7116]

A lovely journey to Chicago loop and back. Look forward to more such cabrides in the city.😊😊

[@42A7C5]

If you're looking for more, Metra (commuter rail in Chicago) has a real-time video series called ride-along: kzbin.info/aero/PLhCD2jkI2S9-AO9UH2Yu9kTvVg-1eF6jf

[@pitouexowind8001]

Incredible! ❤ i'm from beĺgium for me it's crazy!😮❤😊

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

57:38 There's one of the former Yellow Line 3200 series sets.

[@latinalover2715]

CTA Connections This is the best way to ride the L Rapid Transit without leaving my house.

[@veronicalidia9847]

I love it! I watched those videos couple of times but I really really wish to see the winter version

[@gregoryhill7553]

Loving the color & contrast on this video; coupled with good camera control. That; with CTA= great! Thumbs up.

[@arnesw2647]

Very nice ride in superb video quality. Thanks for sharing!

[@Beckala67]

Emily - 46:30 is what you want to see heading South from Merchandise Mart, then turning West at 55:20 towards Wells. Then looping back North again at 01:02:30 by Washington/Wells.

[@fabianakaizen5647]

0:28 Linden 3:18 Central 5:26 Noyes 6:31 Foster 7:57 Davis 9:33 Dempster 11:10 Main 12:30 South Boulevard 15:09 Howard 22:17 Wilson 29:42 Belmont 30:55 Wellington 32:11 Diversey 33:46 Fullerton 36:22 Armitage 40:24 Sedgwick 44:08 Chicago 46:36 Merchandise Mart 49:43 Clark/Lake 51:00 State/Lake 52:51 Washington/Wabash 53:49 Adams/Wabash 57:29 Harold Washington Library 58:45 LaSalle/Van Buren 1:00:36 Quincy 1:02:21 Washington/Wells

[@nyceyes]

Hello from *NYC* . All the CTA lines, stations and tracks look well-kept and very clean. 🤗

[@fandathomas3042]

Is it true the Mts in NEW YORK service close to 6.0 million peopl3 a day??

[@fandathomas3042]

at $2.00 per rider??

[@josephbell2160]

@@fandathomas3042 Yes

[@josephbell2160]

@@fandathomas3042 $2.75

[@ronaldadams5371]

Nice to ride the purple line train

[@nazimuddinchicago]

the 5000-series cta train being renovated will Have GPS screen tracker on the wall behind passenger doors and the middle of the ceiling.

[@testfortester7131]

19:55 this was cool

[@hoscalequality2548]

Test Fortester agreed

[@skyforce2132]

Almost like a race

[@michaelquinones-lx6ks]

At 1:55:46 i saw three El track stubs what year was those els torn down?

[@MartinMiller1]

Excellent!

[@lv16jismij]

Only weekdays have Purple Line Express, but for limited time only.

[@akis.4493]

What do you mean? They're going to make it a full-time thing?

[@GauravSharma-ml7yj]

Very nice and very happy journey I love this video very nice

[@NuyoRican-vm2kx]

After NYC MTA the CTA is my favorite subway system. Wish more USA cities had systems like this...

[@TheBuckeridge]

NuyoRican 1985 CTA is much cleaner and more modern looking than NYC Subway

[@robfriedrich2822]

@Enmity the Kindhearted Elevated train lines are cheaper than subway train lines and beside tram lines they doesn't share the same track as automobile cars. In Germany most cities hasn't a real subway, but a tram system with tunnel sections as found in San Francisco. The four subway cities are Berlin and Hamburg and till the Olympic games in 1972 Munich and Nürnberg.

[@mic1240]

Rob F the CTA is subway, elevated and grade level throughout system. The commuter trains in Chicago area and last interurban in US (South Shore) are mostly ground level. This train starts in suburbs, some of L lines go to closer suburbs, some of which are very densely populated and more urban in feel.

[@NuyoRican-vm2kx]

@Enmity the Kindhearted that's because before the MTA became a united transit system it was 3 independent private companies. They built stations close to each other in order to steal each others riders. That's also the reason they have many rail lines. When they were independent companies they believed the more subway lines they had the more business they would get. However the MTA has removed many subway lines and stations from the systems height and left the ones people use the most. Right now however after years of not taking care of the system correctly it's in its current state. Just another example of someone believing someone else would fix the system in the future. Now the amount of money needed to fix the MTA fully will take billions and decades to fix. Which no government federal or state wants to truly take on.

[@spagboi1268]

TheBuckeridge ikr

[@alynhampton]

I like the sound it makes when it pulls off

[@tommygolon08]

i used to ride the purple line with my dad a lot when i was a kid to go to northwestern football games

[@janeentumbao8690]

This is by far the best CTA line! Real fun starts at about 15:30-Howard stop. Then it zooooooooms at warp speed to Wilson.

[@stevesummers2462]

What a difference five years make. Is there going to be another after the new renovations are done?

[@BNforever2009]

Wow, they tore down the old Wilson St Station! When i rode the Evanston Express it didnt stop at Wilson St

[@BNforever2009]

Sadly, the 5-50 series, the oddball early 6000 series flat door cars that had the trolley poles on top, the 2000 series and the 6700 series cars are all gone. None to ride anymore, can't forget the later 6600 series cars too, they were very well kept up by Oakton St shops and Howard St shops. It's all memories for me now.

[@newmexrob99]

Thanks for the video.

[@dongshuowu3454]

6:07 badass acceleration.

[@Ryochi2011]

Racing the Local Red line trains to Belmont was always a favorite part of the ride!!

[@shannacollins8371]

I used to ride this line in Evanston all the time. Memories!

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

Between Metra and the Evanston Express, the Evanston Express is the more scenic ride.

[@王手飛車のライン]

日本から見ている鉄道ファンです、パープルラインのハワードからの走りに歓喜しております｡

[@jaywad8876]

Okay! Been lonnnng for THIS ride!!

[@petersmith6903]

A great trip nice weather from a UK viewer

[@geoffreymoore1510]

What a great ride, all over Chicago, in both and differing directions. Noticing were they some different or newer mechanisms on some trains for the "third rail" power pickup? Also did trains have some sort of "capacitor" system for storage of power as I noticed some breaks in what I thought was the "third" rail. A beautiful day and I presume all done the same day? Graffiti to a minimum on rail equipment also. Thanks again, keep it coming. From Australia.

[@theyuha]

The Brown Line has an overpass now at Belmont.

[@snigir4908]

Nice appreciation for documentation

[@jwslijm7278]

Nice speed, nice weather, nice sound, nice express! What kind of nice did i forget?

[@Alex-qu3uu]

Jw Slijm Nice atmosphere, nice scenery, nice stations, nice train

[@hgjhgjhgification]

Nice feedback

[@JacobSiegalKingOfSeagaliaBlack]

MisterMistake Not Nice Safety Though

[@Alex-qu3uu]

Jacob Siegal What do you mean?

[@jwslijm7278]

@@Alex-qu3uu Maybe this train ran a red light or that person thinks that safety at CTA has not a good record.

[@TheChicagoL]

It's great to see the Evanston Express (aka Purple Line) "e x p r e s s i n g" itself (he, he he😆) especial in the footage 20:17 - 22:03!

[@skyforce2132]

TheChicagoL yeah it was going fast

[@Tenorlucassantiago]

Nessa pandemia, um bom passeio virtual por Chicago! *-*

[@jebediahkerman7270]

dear CTA, it would be the greatest if you could record the train announcements and play them back then it would be a real real, real, real live feeling 😃😃😄 Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹

[@gro_skunk]

There are announcements.

[@jebediahkerman7270]

Gro Skunk i mean the full announcements in the train while driving 😃

[@marukohanamoto7555]

無限の様に空が青く、街並みも美しい。景色が素晴らしいの一言。私の中で、世界で一番乗りたい列車かも。１日中乗っていたい。

[@ATM015]

37:51 look at that scenery unfolded 😍 Also I compared red and purple/brown line from Belmont to Lake. Purple in this video took 21 minutes. Red took < 14 minutes.

[@jeffconn]

Wonderful video. If i could add one thing, i'd add bridge names, bodies of water passed over, and major highways passed by. Maybe point out some landmarks for us out-of-towners.

[@JacobSiegalKingOfSeagaliaBlack]

JeffConn There Are Captions You Can Turn On Which Can Tell You Stuff Like That

[@RayArias]

Hmm two free embankments, one for each direction between Armitage and Chicago, just right for a new line traveling along side, like maybe the "Circle Line." 🤔

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

44:30 That looks like a Ravenswood-Midway through train.

[@JacobSiegalKingOfSeagaliaBlack]

Karen Page You Mean Brownge? Very Rare I Think.

[@williamnowacki]

The only station on the purple line that I recognize is Central which is nearby Northwestern University

[@Im__A__Fan]

41:36 View of the Sears/Willis tower

[@BNforever2009]

Wow! I see they redid the Belmont St station! Not like it was when i used to be there. Wellington st stop was never a station stop on the Evanston Express and Diversey Pkwy, Armitage St. When i first rode the Evanston Express, after Belmont St going south, it was nonstop to Merchandise Mart. Then 4 years later they added Chicago/Franklin as a stop then a year later Fullerton St stop was added. I hated that. The Ravenswood L stopped at Wellington st which was a A train stop, Diversey was a B train stop, Fullerton was all stops, Armitage was a A train stop, Sedgewick Ave was a B train stop and Chicago/Franklin was a A train stop. I see they torn out the north end of Chicago Ave station too.

[@marcoiacobuzio4075]

I'm born and raised in NYC and have rode the trains all my life and you do not get this kind of scenery on the subway above or below ground it seems Chicago's transit system is so much better...... cleaner......faster...... more up to date and sleeker which is amazing for a system that only has 8 lines....... NYC has a total of 21 lines

[@mic1240]

Chicago area has lots of other train transit, including electric rail, locomotive powered and last interurban in US. Overall, Chicago is rail hub of US and lots of train tracks (and train congestion) throughout city. I lived in NYC and MTA is for sure more expansive and covers more area by far. Chicago system has some pluses like ability to take trains directly into both city airports (no transfer hassles, etc). CTA is faster trains too, the CTA has been upgrading realizing old train lines from 1800s in some parts, need work...something NYC trying to do now with bigger system in need of lot of work. Like NYC trains both subway and elevated (and much of CTA is grade level too). Originally the CTA trains were not called/named by color and many people (mostly about 50 yo or older) still call them by their old names.

[@TheChicagoL]

Twenty-one lines?? That's odd......I always thought MTA had around 27.

[@Robbi496]

For all you "buffs" of the North Shore Line, the train runs on former NSL Right Of Way From the terminal to the former junction of the original CTA line

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

I do have to wonder how the North Shore Line would've fared if it hadn't been abandoned in 1963. I bet it would've been forced off the 'L' at some point and cut back to Howard Street.

[@sarasturm7560]

Also it is ex-Milwaukee Road.

[@konstkaras]

Greetings from Moscow! Wishing you success in system reconstruction and development!

[@Solitaryman70]

CTA TRAINS have good Pick-4 Lottery Numbers! 😂

[@roygoodhand1301]

27:14 Noting that this Purple Line is about to pass the Addison/Wrigleyville station, an idea dawned on me: The Purple Express could be used as a overflow line to get Cubs fans to and from Wrigley Field to alleviate crowding on the Red Line before and after Cubs games.

[@tylerkochman1007]

It is used as that. But it stops at Sheridan instead, since Addison has no platform for the express tracks.

[@tylerkochman1007]

When the Red Line and Purple Line are too crowded, Downtown Cubs fans also have the option of riding the Brown to Belmont.