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I've always considered the CTA to be HRT-lite due to the cramped and narrow cars. It's also the only one I've ever seen anywhere with actual at-grade street crossings.
Only a small portion is at grade. Later extensions pioneered utilizing medians if expressways. (as you once noted Atlanta has some too) Each line is elevated and some subway portions and median.
Also of the original system still in uses. Is why narrow trains are kept. Subway tunnels also make it necessary.
Just not possible to widen trains on such a older system that still uses 100+ year old elevated platforms and subway tunnels that still could not accommodate wider trains. Even those built the WW2 era.
But technically, still as heavy rail. Why it gets compared to the other older cities transit. Though one like Philly have each throughout its transit-system. Chicago's uses the basic L train throughout its system. New trains coming on. Will continue being basically the same.
I actually never road on that portion street-grade. Just not the standard for the system most see or use. Simply a oddity that extensions over decades had a portion that way.
I actually never road on that portion street-grade. Just not the standard for the system most see or use. Simply a oddity that extensions over decades had a portion that way.
I saw them on the Brown Line, and there were several. I was pretty shocked, and thought it was very odd.
I've always considered the CTA to be HRT-lite due to the cramped and narrow cars. It's also the only one I've ever seen anywhere with actual at-grade street crossings.
Chicago's train cars are similar in size to those on the London Underground and slightly wider than the cars used on the numbered lines in nyc.
Chicago's train cars are similar in size to those on the London Underground and slightly wider than the cars used on the numbered lines in nyc.
Actually the London Underground has different sized cars. Some of their older ones are tiny -- smaller than Chicago's -- in small tunnels where even averaged-sized people have to duck to get in the doors. Remember, this is the oldest subway in the world, with the first line built during the American Civil War. But the standard-sized cars are much larger, more typical of American cars (ie: the NYC subway).
Chicago's train cars are similar in size to those on the London Underground and slightly wider than the cars used on the numbered lines in nyc.
The London underground has like 8 different sized cars.
And the NYC cars are much larger than the Chicago cars, for both numbered and lettered lines. I believe the lettered lines (75% of the system) have more than twice the capacity.
The London underground has like 8 different sized cars.
And the NYC cars are much larger than the Chicago cars, for both numbered and lettered lines. I believe the lettered lines (75% of the system) have more than twice the capacity.
Yeah the tube has slight variations in length and very slight variations in width, but essentially they have two sizes: 8'7" wide and 9'7" wide. The smaller ones, which most tourists would use are very similar in size to Chicago. If anything they are even more cramped due to the curving roof. Source Wikipedia.
NYCT cars used on numbered lines are 8'9" wide and 51'4" long and are similar to Chicago, although slightly larger. The cars used on the lettered lines are 10' wide by 75' or 60' long. Source nycsubway.org
The lettered lines probably are 75% of the track mileage, but the numbered lines are many of the busiest so I doubt that the lettered lines represent 75% of the fleet.
Chicago's train cars are similar in size to those on the London Underground and slightly wider than the cars used on the numbered lines in nyc.
Also: New York's Canarsie Line subway (L) used to have grade crossings at its outer end in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. I believe the NYCTA closed them in the 1970s.
Well one-size-fits-all on Chicago L. Every train can be on each others tracks ..... there are no different widths. Just some differing seat configurations and some added them hold-on-steps. I prefer a pole/rail. I dislike the steps. Glad they are basically discontinued in new trains.
Well one-size-fits-all on Chicago L. Every train can be on each others tracks ..... there are no different widths. Just some differing seat configurations and some added them hold-on-steps. I prefer a pole/rail. I dislike the steps. Glad they are basically discontinued in new trains.
Chicago is the only one of the four "legacy" subway systems (Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia) of which that can be said.
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