CTA Holiday Train brings festive enjoyable to Chicago for thirty fourth yr

CHICAGO (WGN) — Santa Claus has arrived in Chicago aboard the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Holiday Train. Now in its thirty fourth yr, the festive rides are formally underway.

Families looking forward to vacation enjoyable lined up on the Midway Orange Line Station on Friday, with dad and mom able to share a particular expertise with their youngsters.

The custom began in 1992 when the vacation practice debuted on the Blue Line, delivering meals to charities throughout the town. Today, youngsters and oldsters are excited to see Santa waving from his open-air flatcar carrying his reindeer.

Nine-year-old twins Christian and Landon have ridden yearly since they had been one. Their pleasure is precisely what organizers of the CTA Holiday Train stay up for every season.

“We all enjoy getting the train ready for Santa and getting it ready to go out. If you haven’t ridden it, you definitely need to come out and do it,” mentioned Jeannine Messina of the CTA.

Messina says elves will hand out 200,000 sweet canes to riders this season. While the trip is all about vacation enjoyable, it additionally serves as an opportunity for the CTA to present again.

“We still collect money from the employees to buy food baskets for organizations throughout the Chicagoland area to help them during the holiday season,” Messina mentioned.

The vacation practice schedule is under, per the CTA.

• 11/28 — Green & Orange Line. Departs Midway towards Loop then Harlem/Lake at 3:50 p.m. Harlem/Lake to Cottage Grove at 5:29 p.m. Cottage Grove towards Loop, then Midway at 7:07 p.m.
• 11/29 — Green Line. Departs Harlem/Lake to Ashland/63rd at 2:32 p.m. Cottage Grove to Harlem/Lake at 5:47 p.m.
• 12/2 — Green & Orange Line. Departs Midway towards Loop, then Harlem/Lake at 3:50 p.m. Harlem/Lake to Ashland/63rd at 5:29 p.m. Ashland/63rd towards Loop, then Midway at 7:03 p.m.
• 12/3 — Orange & Brown Line. Departs Midway towards Loop, then Kimball at 3:08 p.m. Kimball towards Loop, then Midway at 4:41 p.m.
• 12/4 — Orange & Brown Line. Departs Midway towards Loop, then Kimball at 3:53 p.m. Kimball towards Loop, then Midway at 5:28 p.m.
• 12/6 — Orange & Brown Line (pictures with Santa). Departs Kimball towards Loop, then Midway at 1:13 p.m. Midway towards Loop, then Kimball at 4:21 p.m. Kimball towards Loop, then Midway at 5:50 p.m.
• 12/9 — Pink Line. Departs 54th/Cermak to Loop at 2:46 p.m., Loop to 54th and Cermak at 3:08 p.m. 54th/Cermak to Loop at 4:11 p.m. Loop to 54th/Cermak at 4:48 p.m.
• 12/10 — Pink Line. Departs 54th/Cermak at 3:06 p.m. Loop to 54th/Cermak at 3:33 p.m. 54th/Cermak to Loop at 4:53 p.m. Loop to 54th/Cermak at 5:15 p.m.
• 12/11 — Blue Line. Departs O’Hare to Forest Park at 4:17 p.m. Forest Park to O’Hare at 6:56 p.m.
• 12/12 — Blue Line. Departs O’Hare to Forest Park at 4:13 p.m. Forest Park to O’Hare at 6:02 p.m.
• 12/13 — Blue Line & Pink Line (pictures with Santa). Departs Racine to Forest Park at 2:08 p.m. Forest Park to O’Hare at 3:56 p.m.
• 12/16 — Red Line. Departs Howard to ninety fifth/Dan Ryan at 2:43 p.m. ninety fifth/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:19 p.m.
• 12/17 — Purple Line. Departs Howard to Linden at 3:15 p.m. Linden to Loop at 3:50 p.m. Loop to Linden at 4:53 p.m. Linden to Howard at 6 p.m.
• 12/18 — Red Line. Departs Howard to ninety fifth/Dan Ryan at 3:13 p.m. ninety fifth/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:46 p.m.
• 12/19 — Purple Line. Departs Howard to Linden at 3:45 p.m. Linden to Loop at 4:20 p.m. Loop to Linden at 5:23 p.m. Linden to Howard at 6:20 p.m.
• 12/20 — Red & Purple Line (pictures with Santa). Departs Howard to ninety fifth/Dan Ryan at 12:36 p.m. ninety fifth/Dan Ryan to Linden at 3:21 p.m. Linden to Howard at 6:51 p.m.
• 12/22 — Yellow Line. All trains on Yellow Line can be 2-car vacation trains. Departs Howard from 3:08 p.m. to six:53 p.m. Departs Dempster-Skokie from 3:31 p.m. till 7:16 p.m.

The full bus schedule is on the CTA’s website. The company recommends utilizing the holiday bus tracker.