'L' train marker lights (Chicago: school, live in, buses)

[Shaun32]

Hello,

I read on chicago-l.org that you one can identify what route an 'L' train is and the direction by the series of colored lights on the front of trains. Now I don't currently live in Chicago but I'm going to be moving there in a couple of months for school and I want to know, since I plan to use the 'L' (and buses of course) as my primary form of transportation: Is this actually true for all trains? Also, it seems like you'd have to pay attention if you're standing on a crowded platform in the back and you're outside. Is it really realistic to do this every time or is it tricky with crowds?

Just wondering, I think it's a neat idea because the last time I went to Chicago about a month ago my family and I were heading toward Ohare on the Blue line and were on the correct side according to the signs and then a train marked Ohare pulled up on the other side and we got on, but I was suspicious. Right when it announced the next stop I knew it was wrong and we got off and switched directions, but yeah, I don't have any sense of direction when you go underground and turn and stuff and then have no reference points, but I guess you'd get a sense of direction riding it every day.

[j33]

I usually just look at the sign on the wall of the subway station, if the sign says 'ohare' with an arrow pointing the direction of O'hare, and a train comes going that direction, I just assume it is going to O'hare and get on it. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick, most people who move here mess up a few times, but it usually isn't too much of a problem as the stops are pretty close together (unless you are riding the green or orange line, then they are pretty far apart).

To be honest, I've been riding the 'el' since the 1980's and I've never noticed a series of colored lights on the front of the train, I'm sure they are probably there, but I've never used them for navigation purposes.

[Shaun32]

OK, thanks for the advice, but just out of curiosity now I'd be interested to know if the lights thing is actually reliable.

Anyone?

[Attrill]

I saw the same info on the same website and checked it out for a few days - it definitely works (I take the El everyday and can see the Blue Line from my house, so I saw a lot of trains).

It is just a rail enthusiast type thing tho'. No one really uses it to tell which train to get on, you just look at the signs at the station to get the direction and then look at the train sign for the branch (i.e. Cermak). There aren't many branches in the CTA system, so the station signs are all you need the vast majority of the time.

[Shaun32]

Yeah, OK, that makes sense, I was just thinking for the times when the trains are mismarked when they forgot to change the sign on the train when it switches directions or whatever, but you're saying just to always follow the signs on the platforms, right?

[Attrill]

Yep - probably %99.99999 of people who ride the El have no idea bout the lights. The CTA doesn't have a lot of branches, and no A/B trains, so it's pretty much just knowing what line you're on and which direction it is heading, both of which are prominently marked at all stations. And always trust the station signs, not the train signs.

[Drover]

It's true you can tell which trains are which by the light configuration on the lead car. However, the only place where it really matters much is on the Loop where 3 or 4 lines share the same track. Besides, each train has a placard on the front and on the side of each car telling you which line it is. Those placards are color-coordinated to correspond with each line (Brown line, Orange line, Blue line, Green line, et cetera) so you'll be able to tell from some distance before the train pulls into the station. By the time you can see the light configuration, you'll be able to see the placard 10 seconds later, so the light configurations don't really do your average rider much good. And in case you miss all the placards on the train and color-coded signs on the platform, for those lines that share a track there will be an audible cue as the doors open ("This is LaSalle and Van Buren. This is an Orange Line Train to Midway.") In short, as long as you know which line you want to get on, you have to try really hard to get on the wrong train and no amount of light-configuration deciphering is going to help you.

[Shaun32]

Understood. I have ridden the El quite a few times so I know that it's not hard at all to tell which train is pulling up. I just wanted to see if the lights thing was accurate, that's all. I have no worries about being able to tell trains apart. It was all just curiosity. Thanks for answering my questions!