| 7000 series | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In service | 2020 (projected) |
| Manufacturer | CRRC Sifang America |
| Built at | CRRC Plant, Chicago, Illinois |
| Replaced | 2600-series (base order) 3200-series (options if picked up) |
| Constructed | 2019 (projected) |
| Number under construction | Order of 400 cars (200 sets) |
| Formation | Married pair |
| Fleet numbers | 7001–7400 (base order) |
| Capacity | 38 seats minimum, exact total TBA |
| Operator(s) | Chicago Transit Authority |
| 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) |
| Electric system(s) | Third rail, 600 V DC |
| Current collection method | Contact shoe |
| Braking system(s) | Regenerative and Pneumatic |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The 7000 series is an upcoming series of railcar for the Chicago "L". The order is for 400 cars and will be used to replace the 2600-series cars, which are currently assigned to the Blue, Brown, and Orange Lines. Including all options, which is a total of 846 cars, the order will cost $1.3 billion. [1] Prototypes for testing to be delivered in late 2019 and then delivery of the production cars beginning in 2020. [2] Each 7000-series rail car will feature LEDs, 37 to 38 seats, and is a hybrid of the 3200- and 5000-series. The cars will be built at a new CRRC Sifang America railcar manufacturing plant at 135th and Torrence in Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood, construction of the factory began in March 2017, with production to begin at the factory in early 2019. This is the first time in 50 years CTA rail cars are manufactured in Chicago. [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.
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 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.
On February 20, 2016, two finalists were announced for the contract— Bombardier Transportation and CRRC Sifang America. [4] On March 9, 2016, the contract was awarded to CRRC Sifang America, with a bid that is $226 million lower than Bombardier's. [5] [6] However, on April 11, 2016, Bombardier filed a protest of the award, alleging that CTA rigged the procurement to give CRRC an unfair advantage. [7] On September 28, 2016, the CTA finalized its decision to make CRRC Sifang America the manufacturer of the 7000-series cars. [8] [9]
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.
CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd., formerly known as CSR Qingdao Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., is a Chinese rolling stock manufacturer based in Qingdao, Shandong province.
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.
Concerns have been raised over possible malware, cyber attacks, and mass surveillence by the Chinese government. However, the computer and software components and the automatic train control system will be made by U.S. and Canadian firms. [10]
When the 7000-series cars enter service, the Chicago "L" will have one of the youngest fleets of any U.S. transit system, according to the CTA. [3]
