The construction work to realign the tracks at the Belmont and Fullerton Brown Line stations will be accelerated, allowing the CTA to restore the southbound track to service by the end of 2008, six months earlier than previously announced.

Southbound Brown, Red and Purple Express trains have been limited to one southbound track at Belmont and Fullerton since March 30 while the platforms are being rebuilt and tracks reconfigured to allow room for the installation of elevators at both stations. As a result of three-track operation, CTA has supplemented bus service near the stations and added personnel and signage in an effort to assist affected customers.

In addition, the CTA announced that it will add escalators to the Belmont and Fullerton stations. The original plans provided space for future installation of escalators but because the project remains within its budget and on schedule the CTA has determined that there are sufficient funds to install two escalators at each station. The escalator installation is scheduled to be completed by December 2009.

Read press release.

The next phase of three-track operation at the Belmont and Fullerton stations has started.

Effective March 30, 2008, southbound trains are limited to one track at the Belmont and Fullerton stations due to construction for the Brown Line capacity expansion project.  To help ease the impact, the CTA is operating eight-car trains on the Brown Line during morning and evening rush hours.  The introduction of eight-car service has occurred nearly 18 months earlier than originally planned.

Paulina and Wellington stations closed for renovation on March 30.  While the stations are under construction, Brown Line trains will bypass both stations.

Also on March 30, the CTA reopened the Southport station and opened a temporary station at Diversey. Both stations had been closed for construction and are now able to accommodate eight-car trains.  Using a temporary station at Diversey makes it possible to reopen for service nearly three months earlier than originally planned.  Work to install elevators and complete the stationhouse at Diversey will continue throughout the spring.

Read more about three-track operation.

The Addison Brown Line station reopened December 3, 2007 following work to lengthen platforms, rebuild the stationhouse and make the station accessible.

Two newly installed elevators are now in operation making the station accessible to all CTA customers. With the completion of the renovations at Addison, 80 of CTA’s 144 rail stations are now accessible. In addition to the new elevators, accessible features also include: an accessible turnstile, tactile platform edging, gap fillers, TTY telephones and Braille signs.

Also new to the station are two auxiliary exits, one serving the northbound platform and one serving the southbound platform. Other upgrades include wider stairways, additional turnstiles, a new platform canopy, customer assistant call buttons, an information kiosk, heaters, benches, brighter lighting, windbreaks and improved station and directional signs.  

Irving Park station closed temporarily on December 3, 2007. While the Irving Park station is closed, customers may board the Brown Line at the adjacent, newly-renovated Montrose or Addison stations.

The Damen station was temporarily closed on November 27, 2007 for up to 12 months. When the Damen and Irving Park stations reopen they will both be newly accessible to customers.

The Montrose Brown Line station reopened on November 26, 2007 following work to lengthen platforms, rebuild the stationhouse and make the station accessible. The station closed to customers last December for renovation and re-opened six days ahead of schedule.

Two newly installed elevators are now in operation making the station accessible to all CTA customers. With the completion of the renovations at Montrose, 79 of CTA’s 144 rail stations are now accessible. In addition to the new elevators, accessible features also include: an accessible turnstile, tactile platform edging, gap fillers, TTY telephones and Braille signs.

Other improvements to Montrose include a newly rebuilt stationhouse, wider stairways, additional turnstiles, a new platform canopy, customer assistant call buttons, an information kiosk, heaters, benches, brighter lighting, windbreaks and improved station and directional signs. 

Damen is the next Brown Line station scheduled to undergo renovation and that station closed on November 26 for up to 12 months. While the Damen station is closed, customers may board the Brown Line at the adjacent, newly renovated Western or Montrose stations.

On December 3, CTA will reopen the Addison station to customers and temporarily close the Irving Park station for up to 12 months. When the Damen and Irving Park stations reopen they will both be newly accessible to customers.

On November 26, 2007, CTA will reopen the Montrose station to customers and temporarily close the Damen station for up to 12 months.

On December 3, 2007, the CTA will reopen the Addison station and temporarily close the Irving Park station for up to 12 months.

Both Montrose and Addison have been closed to service since December 2006. When the stations reopen they will both be newly accessible to customers.

While the Damen station is closed, customers may use the adjacent Brown Line stations at Western and Montrose. While the Irving Park station is closed, customers may use the Montrose and Addison stations.

The Sedgwick station entrance reopened on Monday, November 12, 2007.

The newly renovated station entrance is accessible to customers with disabilities and includes these customer-friendly features:

• New elevators
• Brighter lighting
• Refurbished canopies
• Renovated and expanded historic station entrance
• Benches
• Bike racks
• Longer platforms

The station has remained open to customers throughout construction. The temporary entrance located on Hudson is no longer in use.

The entrance to the Chicago Avenue Brown Line station temporarily relocated one block south of the existing entrance to Superior and Franklin at 5 a.m. Monday, October 15, 2007 as CTA continues work to rebuild the Chicago Avenue station and extend platforms as part of the Brown Line capacity expansion project.

Customers use new stairways to the elevated platforms at the temporary entrance to access Purple Line Express and Brown Line trains. The temporary entrance provides the same amenities as the existing entrance, including farecard vending machines. The temporary entrance is expected to be in place through spring 2008.

Crews placed the newly constructed northbound platform and tracks into service at the Belmont Brown/Red/Purple Express station at 10 p.m. Thursday, August 9, 2007. The new platform and tracks are located east of the current platform and tracks. Customers will board northbound Red, Brown and Purple Line Express trains on the east side of the new northbound platform.

On Monday, July 23, 2007 at 5 a.m., the Chicago Transit Authority temporarily relocated the entrance to the Armitage station on the Brown Line. The new temporary entrance is on the south side of Armitage - across the street from the existing entrance. The turnstiles, farecard vending machines and temporary customer assistant kiosk are available in the new temporary station entrance as well.

The temporary entrance is expected to be in place until early 2008 while CTA continues work to rebuild the Armitage station and extend platforms.

CTA’s #73 Armitage bus, which provides direct service to the Armitage station, is not affected.

On Monday, June 25, 2007, the Diversey station on the Brown Line temporarily closed for 12 months while construction crews work to upgrade and extend platforms, rebuild the station house and make the station accessible to customers with disabilities. The adjacent stations – Wellington and Fullerton – remain open during the temporary closure of the Diversey station so customers may continue to use them to access Brown Line service.

Improvements to the Diversey station will include a new stationhouse, elevator access to each platform, a wheelchair accessible turnstile, longer platforms to accommodate eight-car trains instead of the current six-car trains, security cameras, brighter lighting, tactile edging on the platforms and an upgraded public address system.

The Diversey station is located in an area where existing CTA service is plentiful. In addition to nearby rail stations, there are six existing CTA bus routes that provide service near Diversey station on weekdays and weekends, the #8 Halsted, #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick, #22 Clark, #36 Broadway, #74 Fullerton and the #76 Diversey. (Read more)

After evaluating travel patterns, ridership and service over the past six weeks of three-track operation, CTA President Ron Huberman said today that both bus and rail ridership have increased compared to pre-three track levels. Rail service has performed well through the construction zone and the signaling systems have been accommodating trains as planned, with capacity for additional trains to be added back into operation. As a result, a total of seven Brown Line trains—three in the morning and four in the evening--have been added back to the schedule and adjustments will be made to bus service beginning tomorrow to support routes that have experienced the most ridership growth.

Read more here

Effective Monday, April 2, 2007, Red, Brown and Purple Express trains are operating on three tracks instead of four at the Belmont and Fullerton stations on the City’s North Side.

Although trains will continue to stop at the stations during three-track operation, one of the four tracks along the platforms at each station must be taken out of service while the platform is rebuilt and tracks are reconfigured to allow room for elevators to be installed. The specific track to be taken out of service will vary during the course of the project.

The construction is a phase of the Brown Line capacity expansion project which, when completed at end of 2009, will allow the CTA to accommodate more customers in this busy and growing corridor and will make all Brown Line stations accessible to people with disabilities.

Three-track operation web page

On Monday, April 2, 2007 the Southport station on the Brown Line temporarily closed for renovation. The Southport station is temporarily closed for 12 months while construction crews work to upgrade and extend platforms, rebuild the station house and make the station accessible to customers with disabilities. The adjacent stations – Paulina and Belmont – are open during the temporary closure of the Southport station so customers may continue to use them to access Brown Line service.

Improvements to the Southport station will include a new station house, an elevator, a wheelchair accessible turnstile, a longer platform to accommodate eight-car trains instead of the current six-car trains, security cameras, brighter lighting, tactile edging on the platform and an upgraded public address system.

The Southport station is located in an area where existing CTA service is plentiful. In addition to nearby rail stations, there are five existing CTA bus routes that provide service near Southport station on weekdays and weekends, the #9 Ashland, #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick, #22 Clark, #77 Belmont, #152 Addison and the #X9 Ashland Express (weekdays until 7 p.m.). (Read more)

The Francisco station reopened on Friday, March 9, 2007.

A major portion of the reconstruction has been completed at Francisco including the complete rebuild of the historic station house and installation of a ramp which now makes the station accessible.  Along with a wheelchair accessible turnstile and tactile edging on the platform, additional customer amenities include brighter lighting, windbreaks, security cameras, benches and a new public address system.

A new northbound platform and tracks have been built at the Fullerton station. The new platform and tracks are located east of the current platform and tracks. As a result, customers will board northbound trains slightly differently.

Brown and Purple Express trains will use the new track and customers will board from the newly constructed platform.  Customers should board trains on the east side of the new northbound platform.

The existing northbound platform will continue to be used for boarding northbound Red Line trains only. Customers should board trains on the west side of the platform.

Boarding for southbound trains will not be affected.

The new platform connects to the old platform so customers will continue to have an accessible transfer between Red, Brown and Purple Express trains. (read more)

The Kimball station on the Brown Line reopened to rail service at 4 a.m. on Friday, January 12, 2007.

A major portion of the reconstruction has been completed at Kimball including brighter lighting, installation of heaters and windbreaks, new benches and an information kiosk.

On Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 3 a.m. the Montrose and Addison stations on the Brown Line temporarily closed for renovation. Both the Montrose and Addison stations will temporarily close for 12 months while construction crews work to upgrade and extend platforms, rebuild the station house and make the station accessible to customers with disabilities. The adjacent stations – Paulina, Irving Park and Damen – will remain open during the temporary closure of the Montrose and Addison stations so customers may continue to use them to access Brown Line service.

Improvements at both the Montrose and Addison stations will include new station houses, new elevators and wheelchair accessible turnstiles, longer platforms to accommodate eight-car trains instead of the current six-car trains, security cameras, brighter lighting, tactile edging on the platforms and upgraded public address systems.

Both Montrose and Addison are located in areas where existing CTA service is plentiful. In addition to nearby rail stations, there are seven existing CTA bus routes that provide service near Montrose station on weekdays and weekends, the #78 Montrose, #50 Damen, #145 Wilson/Michigan Express, #80 Irving Park, #X80 Irving Park Express, #81 Lawrence and the #148 Clarendon/Michigan Express (weekdays, peak direction only).

Eight existing CTA bus routes provide service near Addison station, the #152 Addison, #9 Ashland, #X9 Ashland Express (weekdays only), #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick, #50 Damen, #77 Belmont, #80 Irving Park and the #X80 Irving Park Express. (read more)