5000 series (CTA)

5000 series
5000 series
	5000-series cars on the Pink Line.
In service	2011–present
Manufacturer	Bombardier Transportation
Built at	Bombardier Plant, Plattsburgh, New York
Replaced	2200-series, 2400-series
Constructed	2009–2015
Entered service	2011
Refurbishment	TBD
Number built	714
Number in service	714
Formation	Married pair
Fleet numbers	5001–5714
Capacity	34 seated, 123 total
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority
Depot(s)	54th Yard ; 98th Yard ; Ashland Yard ; Harlem Yard ; Howard Yard ; Linden Yard
Line(s) served	Pink Line ; Green Line ; Red Line ; Purple Line ; Yellow Line
Specifications
Car body construction	Stainless steel with fiberglass end bonnets
Car length	48 feet (14.63 m)
Width	9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m)
Height	12 feet (3.66 m)
Doors	4 per car
Maximum speed	Design: 70 miles per hour (110 km/h); Service: 55 miles per hour (89 km/h)
Weight	57,000 pounds (26,000 kg) empty
Traction system	Bombardier MITRAC AC IGBT-VVVF traction motors
Electric system(s)	Third rail, 600 V DC
Current collection method	Contact shoe
Braking system(s)	Regenerative Disc brakes Track brake
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Last updated September 13, 2019

The 5000 series is a series of Chicago "L" car built by Bombardier Transportation of Plattsburgh, New York. A $577 million order for 406 cars was placed in 2006.^[1] In July 2011, the CTA ordered 300 more cars (later increased to 308 cars) for $331 million as an option on the first contract.^[2]^[3]

The Chicago "L" is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length, at 102.8 miles (165.4 km) long as of 2014, and the second-busiest rail mass transit system in the United States, after the New York City Subway. In 2016, the "L" had 1,492 rail cars, eight different routes, and 145 train stations; average weekday ridership was 759,866.

Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin. There are many regional offices, production and development facilities worldwide.

Plattsburgh is a city in and the seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 19,989 at the 2010 census. The population of the unincorporated areas within the surrounding Town of Plattsburgh was 11,870 as of the 2010 census, making the combined population for all of Plattsburgh to be 31,859. Plattsburgh lies just to the northeast of Adirondack Park, immediately outside of the park boundaries. It is the second largest community in the North Country region, and serves as the main commercial hub for the sparsely populated northern Adirondack Mountains.

Specifications

The first 10 cars began testing in passenger service on April 19, 2010.^[4] Following completion of the testing phase and acceptance of the rail cars, a dozen cars are expected to be delivered every month until all cars are in service.

Seating is longitudinal, with passengers facing a wider aisle. This has increased capacity by 20–30% to a total of 123.^[5] Vertical stanchions and horizontal overhead bars with straps have been added throughout much of the car to give standing passengers more to hold on to.^[6] New amenities include seven security cameras per car, new electronic signs making announcements visually, and "active" system maps showing the location of the train on the line.^[7] Due to the 5000-series not being in the High-Performance family of railcars (as of 2016, the only remaining series of this family of cars are the 2600 and 3200 series), and having AC propulsion, the 5000-Series are unable to MU with other series of railcars in the CTA's fleet, which are all High-Performance cars. This is not a complication for the 5000-series for the most part, since almost all of the lines they are assigned to are entirely this railcar. The last 2600-series cars were removed from service from the Red Line in November 2015, leaving only the Blue and Orange Lines to operate them.

The 2600 series is a series of Chicago "L" car built between 1981 and 1987 by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 600 cars were built, and 503 of them remain in service as of 2019.

The 3200 series is a series of Chicago "L" car built between 1992 and 1994 by Morrison-Knudsen of Hornell, New York, with body shells built by Brazilian subcontractor Mafersa. A total of 257 cars were built, of which 253 remain in service.

Multiple-unit train control, sometimes abbreviated to multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a train from a single location, whether it is a Multiple unit comprising a number of self-powered passenger cars or a set of locomotives.

Features and usage

The 5000-series use technologies such as AC traction equipment^[2] that will enhance operations and maintenance and provide a smoother, more comfortable ride.^[8] Cars 5001–5114 originally came with orange LED destination signs; cars beginning with unit 5115–5116 came equipped with colored LED destination signs that can be programmed for the color of the line(s) that they will eventually operate on (the amber-only signs in the existing cars began to be replaced with the colored signs starting mid-August 2012 with units 5095–5096 and 5097–5098, which were originally delivered to the CTA with the amber signs but were retrofitted with the colored signs before they were placed into service).^[9]

The first cars were placed into regular service on November 8, 2011, on the Pink Line.^[10]^[11] The Pink Line was the first line to be fully equipped with the 5000-series cars in June 2012, followed by the Green Line in May 2013, the Yellow Line in March 2014, the Purple Line in March 2015, and the Red Line in November 2015. The CTA planned on assigning some 5000-series cars to the Orange Line, replacing its 2600-series cars, which were supposed to be an interim replacement for the line's 2400-series cars until the Red Line is fully equipped with the 5000-series cars. However, as of November 2015, the assignment of 5000-series cars to the Orange Line is now unlikely since delivery of all 5000-series cars is complete and all 5000-series cars are completely assigned to other lines, thus the assignment of 2600-series cars to the Orange Line is now a permanent assignment until the delivery of the new 7000-series cars.

The Pink Line is an 11.2 mi (18.0 km) rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is CTA's newest rail line and began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago. The route to the Loop follows tracks shared with Green Line trains on Lake Street, connected by the previously non-revenue Paulina Connector. In September 2012, the average weekday boardings on the Pink Line was 33,737. The Pink Line does not make any 'L' train transfers on the Douglas Branch. The Pink Line operates between 54th/Cermak and the Loop, weekdays from 4:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 5:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m.

The Green Line is a rapid transit line on the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" system. It is the only completely elevated route in the entire system. It utilizes the system's oldest segments, extending 20.695 miles (33.305 km) with 30 stops between Forest Park and Oak Park (Harlem/Lake), through Chicago's West Side to the Loop, and then to the South Side and West Englewood (Ashland/63rd) and Woodlawn. As of September 2012, the average number of weekday boardings on the Green Line was 70,554.

The Yellow Line, alternatively known as the Skokie Swift, is part of the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" system in Chicago, Illinois. The 5.1-mile (8.2 km) route runs from the Howard Terminal on the north side of Chicago, through the southern part of Evanston and to the Dempster Terminal in Skokie, Illinois, making one intermediate stop at Oakton Street in Skokie.

Issues

The fleet was taken out of service for inspections in December 2011 concerning irregularities found in the wheel components of the cars.^[12] They went back into service on May 7, 2012. As of November 2015, these cars are the most abundant in the CTA's fleet, making up the entire Pink, Green, Yellow, Purple, and Red Line fleets.

Controversy

The 5000-series' seating arrangement has been met with negative feedback from riders. One of the requirements the CTA had during the bidding process was that manufacturers provide more than one interior layout for a hybrid seating configuration (both longitudinal and lateral), to minimize discomfort as well as maximizing passenger flow.^[13]

Related Research Articles

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago "L" and CTA bus service.

The Red Line, sometimes known as the Howard-Dan Ryan Line or the North-South Line, is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the busiest line on the "L" system, with an average of 251,813 passengers boarding each weekday in 2012. The route is 23.4 miles (37.7 km) long with a total of 33 stations, from Howard station in Rogers Park on the north side, through the State Street subway and to 95th/Dan Ryan in Roseland on the south side. Like the Blue Line, the Red Line runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; the CTA is one of only five rapid transit systems in the United States to do so. A proposed extension adding four new stations would extend the Red Line south from 95th/Dan Ryan to 130th Street.

The Orange Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the "L" system. It is approx. 12.5 miles (20.1 km) long and runs at grade and serves the Southwest Side, running from the Loop to Midway International Airport. In September 2012, the average weekday boardings on the Orange Line were 63,037.

The Blue Line, also known as the O'Hare-Congress Line and the West-Northwest Line, is a 26.93-mile-long (43.34 km) Chicago "L" line which extends through the Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway and across the West Side to its southwest end at Forest Park, with a total of 33 stations It is the CTA's second busiest rail line, with an average of 186,796 passengers boarding each weekday in September 2012.

The Brown Line of the Chicago "L" system, is an 11.4-mile (18.3 km) route with 27 stations between Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood and downtown Chicago. It runs completely above ground and is almost entirely grade-separated. It is the third-busiest 'L' route, with an average of 63,481 passengers boarding each weekday in 2017.

The Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a 3.9-mile (6.3 km) route on the northernmost section of the Chicago "L" rapid transit system. Normally, it extends south from Linden Avenue in Wilmette, passing through Evanston to Howard Street, on Chicago's north side. In 2016, the average weekday boardings on the Purple Line was 10,187.

The rolling stock of the Washington Metro system consists of 1,242 75-foot (23 m) cars that were acquired across seven orders. All cars operate as married pairs, with systems shared across the pair. The 7000-series cars, the system's newest, have an operator's cab in only one of each married pair's cars and typically operate in groups of four.

Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren is an 'L' station serving the CTA's Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. Originally, the station was to have direct access to the second floor of the Harold Washington Library building, but this direct connection was never built. Farecard transfers are also available at the station for the Blue and Red Lines via the Jackson/Dearborn and Jackson/State subway stations, respectively. It was originally known as State/Van Buren when it first opened in 1897. The original station closed on September 2, 1973, along with six other stations, due to low ridership, and demolished in 1975. The new station was rebuilt and reopened on June 22, 1997 in order to serve the Harold Washington Library. The Chicago Transit Authority board voted unanimously on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, to rename the station to its current name.

The current rolling stock of the Chicago "L" rapid transit system consists of three series of railcars. The oldest series is the 2600 series which was built between 1981 and 1987 and refurbished between 1999 and 2002. The second series is the 3200 series, built between 1992 and 1994 and refurbished between 2015 and 2018. The third and newest series is known as the 5000 series; built between 2009 and 2015, they feature new technologies such as LED color signs, security cameras, new seating configuration, AC motors, and date and time.

Morgan/Lake is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's Green and Pink Lines in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The original station on this site was closed and demolished in early 1949; after years of intense lobbying by local residents and members of the Fulton Market Merchant Association, the Chicago Department of Transportation rebuilt the station from 2010–2012. The new station opened on May 18, 2012.

The 2200 series was a series of Chicago "L" cars built in 1969 and 1970 by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 150 cars were built. The last 8 2200-series cars were retired from service after their ceremonial last trips on the Blue Line on August 8, 2013. These cars were in service for 44 years. All cars except the preserved ones were scrapped by October 2015.

The 2400 series is a series of Chicago "L" cars built between 1976 and 1978 by Boeing-Vertol of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, with shells fabricated by Sorefame. 200 cars were built and on October 31, 2014, the series was retired from revenue service. These cars were in service for 38 years.

The South Side Elevated is a branch in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is an active branch that is served by the Green Line, with the Roosevelt station, that is also served by the Orange Line. It has on average 12,509 passengers, counting branch divisions, boarding each weekday as of February 2013, according to the CTA. The branch is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) long with a total of 8 stations, and runs from the Near South Side to the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago. The branch runs from 3:50 a.m. to 1:05 a.m. on weekdays, 4:50 a.m. to 1:05 a.m. on Saturdays and 4:50 a.m. to 1:05 a.m. on Sundays/Holidays.

The 7000 series is an upcoming series of rail car for the Chicago "L". The base order is for 400 cars and will be used to replace the 2600-series cars, dating back to the 1980s, which are currently assigned to the Blue, Brown, and Orange Lines. If the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) orders the additional 446 cars, these cars would replace the 3200-series cars, dating back to the early 1990s, which are currently assigned to the Blue and Brown Lines. Including all options, which is a total of 846 cars, the order will cost $1.3 billion. The contract requires ten prototypes to be delivered by October 2019. If the rail cars prove to be acceptable, then full production cars would be delivered starting in October 2020, at a rate of 10 cars per month. The cost per car is approximately $1.58 million.

References

↑ "Bombardier wins Chicago race". Railway Gazette International . 2006-06-01.
1 2 "Chicago orders 300 more 5000-series metro cars". Railway Gazette International . 2011-07-20.
↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
↑ "CTA to begin in-service testing of new rail cars". Chicago Transit Authority. April 15, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
↑ "New CTA rail cars make their debut". Chicago Breaking News Center. April 19, 2010. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
↑ "CTA to begin in-service testing of new rail cars". CTA. April 15, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
↑ Garfield, Graham. "5000-series cars". Chicago-'L'.org. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
↑ "CTA 5000-series rail cars". June 1, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
↑ Hilkevitch, Jon (December 14, 2011). "Retrofits planned for new CTA rail cars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
↑ Lutz, BJ; Anthony Ponce (November 8, 2011). "New CTA Cars Launch on Pink Line" . Retrieved November 13, 2011.
↑ Spielman, Fran (November 8, 2011). "CTA unveils new, roomier L cars featuring multiple security cameras". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
↑ Hilkevitch, Jon (December 17, 2011). "Flaws detected in new CTA rail cars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
↑ Hilkevitch, Jon (2 August 2013). "CTA trying for more 'customer-friendly' seating in future cars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 July 2015.

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[1] "Bombardier wins Chicago race". Railway Gazette International . 2006-06-01.

[rgi20110720-2] 1 2 "Chicago orders 300 more 5000-series metro cars". Railway Gazette International . 2011-07-20.

[3] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[4] "CTA to begin in-service testing of new rail cars". Chicago Transit Authority. April 15, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.

[debut-5] "New CTA rail cars make their debut". Chicago Breaking News Center. April 19, 2010. Archived from the original on 22 April 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2010.

[6] "CTA to begin in-service testing of new rail cars". CTA. April 15, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.

[7] Garfield, Graham. "5000-series cars". Chicago-'L'.org. Retrieved July 19, 2010.

[8] "CTA 5000-series rail cars". June 1, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.

[9] Hilkevitch, Jon (December 14, 2011). "Retrofits planned for new CTA rail cars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 15, 2011.

[10] Lutz, BJ; Anthony Ponce (November 8, 2011). "New CTA Cars Launch on Pink Line" . Retrieved November 13, 2011.

[11] Spielman, Fran (November 8, 2011). "CTA unveils new, roomier L cars featuring multiple security cameras". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 13, 2011.

[12] Hilkevitch, Jon (December 17, 2011). "Flaws detected in new CTA rail cars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 2, 2012.

[New_seating-13] Hilkevitch, Jon (2 August 2013). "CTA trying for more 'customer-friendly' seating in future cars". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2 July 2015.