The 5000-series: A new generation of CTA 'L' car
CTA has begun testing the prototypes of a brand-new family of ‘L’ cars: The CTA 5000-series rail cars. These new rail cars include a wide variety of new features and technologies.
With decades of expert engineering and design under our belts, we have a history of working with our car builders to produce safe, reliable rail cars that last. These new cars are being built by Bombardier in their manufacturing facility in Plattsburg, NY. Bombardier is a leading car builder.
The result of the advancements in these cars will be a smoother, more comfortable ride, and cars that can operate more efficiently—providing benefits to both operational and maintenance efficiency.
You may have already seen the prototypes in testing, but may not know much about them. For months, we’ve been meticulously testing everything about each of the ten prototype cars as they’ve been delivered. Now you get to try them out yourself! These cars will operate on all eight CTA rail lines in passenger service in the coming months.
This page contains more information about what to expect when you see these new rail cars.
On this page:
Safety
Many of the new features of these cars help to make an already-safe ride even safer.
Doors
You’ll notice added lighting above the doors to indicate when doors are in use. New door chimes play and the door lights flash to indicate when the doors are physically closing for added safety.
Doors also have more advanced sensing systems to detect an obstruction and ensure that the train cannot leave unless the doors are completely shut and locked in place.
Cameras
The new cars are also equipped with security cameras that can record all activity inside the train, which can help to deter crime and better ensure a safe ride. Upgraded communication systems allow better access to help when a passenger needs it, and makes it possible for a train's operator to see activity in a car when help is requested, which helps us to provide more expedient assistance in the event of an emergency.
New flooring
New flooring surfaces in the cars not only provide a safe surface to walk on, but now feature phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) strips to help you find a pathway out in case of an emergency in the unlikely event that lighting is dimmed or unavailable.
Event recording
Cars also have event recorders that keep logs of hardware, software and operational conditions, similar to the so-called "black box," standard in modern aircraft.
Design
Building on our established, sleek, stainless steel look and feel, you’ll notice a variety of new developments in the design of these cars.
Electronic information
New digital train destination signs are larger and will more vividly show a train’s destination. Interior displays will show time, date and information about the train’s route and location, as well as public service announcements.
An electronic map display posted in each car will also show the train’s location in respect to the rest of the ‘L’ system.
Interior layout & design
These new cars are designed with efficiency and comfort in mind. A new seating layout with added emphasis on wider aisle space provides a similar number of seats as our most recent 'L' cars, while adding capacity and making it easier to move into and out of the car—especially during busier times of day.
Vertical stanchions and horizontal overhead bars with straps have been added throughout much of the car to give standing passengers more to hold onto.
Improved accessibility
The 5000-series cars have two wheelchair positions to provide additional access to people with disabilities, with open space to allow for easier ingress and egress. Previous series of rail cars, if accessible, were equipped with only one wheelchair position.
These cars also have an active suspension system that helps to better align the interior car floor with the height of station platforms in a variety of conditions.
Efficiency and reliability
Regenerative braking technology
In older rail car designs, the energy returned through the train’s motors when a train is braking is converted to heat and dissipated into the outside air. New braking technology on these rail cars takes much of this energy and puts it to good use by returning it to the third rail to help power other trains and onboard electrical systems, thus reducing energy consumption.
Why the advanced technology? Not only does this lower our electric bill, but it reduces our carbon footprint by reducing the amount of energy it takes to move hundreds of thousands of people every day by train.
Extensive testing
We’re testing and making sure that every system is running at peak efficiency—that includes train car reliability, performance, comfort and safety systems, to name a few.
Advanced, diagnostic equipment has been used; we monitor power consumption, the efficiency and smoothness of the propulsion systems, the effectiveness and total reliability of the cars’ multiple braking systems and much more; allowing our designers and those from Bombardier to fine-tune every aspect of the cars’ performance. This helps us in our effort to bring you the best possible rapid transit experience.
Not only is testing done with each car as it comes in, we also do testing in a variety of real and simulated conditions before releasing cars into service to guarantee safe, reliable transport in any weather or with any passenger load.
New diagnostic systems, new everything!
As rail cars age, even with regular care and the occasional major rehab, they require more maintenance and the cost of operating service and maintaining our fleet goes up. After a while, older equipment must be replaced with new equipment to provide more reliable, cost-effective service.
Not only will these cars perform even better than their predecessors, by design, but new diagnostic systems also alert a train operator to many issues with equipment when it occurs, on a digital display in the motorcab. This allows CTA personnel to detect, troubleshoot and fix problems more quickly if something happens while a train is in service, and also provides a record of conditions and performance when the cars make it back to the shops for maintenance or repair.
Many behind-the-scenes improvements also have been made to help make these cars more reliable from propulsion to door function.
Comfort
New propulsion systems
One of the most exciting changes in the design of these cars is the use of new, more energy-efficient alternating current (AC) propulsion and braking technology that will also provide a smoother ride.
The new motors on these cars speed up and come to a stop more gently than any of our previous series of rail cars, because their underlying technology allows for finer adjustment in the speed of the train.
Improved environmental controls
New heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems provide optimal comfort during all seasons, keeping cars at carefully-calibrated temperatures even in the most severe weather conditions.
Improved door seals also help make sure the comfortable air stays in and the outside air stays out, even during high winds and when the train is moving at top speed.
Press Releases
- CTA ISSUES RFP FOR MANUFACTURE OF NEW RAIL CARS - 01/28/2005
- CTA Enhances Security Efforts with Security Camera Network - 09/09/2005
- CTA Selects Manufacturer for New Rail Cars - 05/10/2006
- MAYOR DALEY, CTA AND CPD OFFICIALS TEST MOBILE SECURITY NETWORK -12/02/2006
- CTA to Expand Mobile Security Network Pilot - 02/14/2007
- CTA Makes Enhancements to 5000-Series Rail Cars - 01/23/2008
- CTA to Issue Bonds to Complete Purchase of New Rail Cars - 02/10/2010
- CTA to Begin In-Service Testing of New Rail Cars - 04/15/2010
- 5000-Series Rail Car Prototypes Heading to the Green Line - 05/14/2010
- CTA to Extend Testing of Prototype Rail Cars on Green Line - 05/27/2010
- Testing of CTA’s Prototype Rail Cars to Resume on Green Line - 07/13/2010
- Prototype Rail Cars to Begin Testing on Blue Line - 07/29/2010
- Prototype Rail Cars to Begin Testing on Orange Line - 10/22/2010
- Prototype Rail Cars to Begin Testing on Brown Line - 11/19/2010
- Prototype Rail Cars to Begin Testing on Pink Line - 12/22/2010
- Prototype Rail Cars to Begin Testing on Purple and Yellow Lines - 1/14/2011
- Prototype Rail Cars Heading to Red Line - 2/10/2011
- Prototype Rail Cars Move to Purple Line - 4/1/2011
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System Status
Trains:
| Red Line | Normal Service |
|---|---|
| Blue Line | Normal Service |
| Brown Line | Normal Service |
| Green Line | Normal Service |
| Orange Line | Normal Service |
| Purple Line | Normal Service |
| Pink Line | Normal Service |
| Yellow Line | Normal Service |
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