The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has granted $35m in funding to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for its $4.7bn Red-Purple Line Modernization Project.
The CTA will use the funds in laying the groundwork to improve service and capacity on its ageing North Red Line and Purple Line rail transit system.
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Works under the improvements include the construction of a track bypass north of the CTA Belmont Station to reduce bottlenecks with the Brown Line.
The CTA will also expand and modernise four rail stations between Leland and Ardmore Avenues, in order to make them ADA-compliant for the first time.
The funds will also see the upgrade of rail corridor signals, as well as additional track and related infrastructure improvements.
The funding are being provided through the US Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) new Core Capacity Grant Program, which is designed to help rail transit providers to increase the volume of passengers or trains without expanding the footprint of the system.
FTA acting administrator Therese McMillan said: "While Chicago’s transit systems face state-of-good-repair challenges, we cannot ignore the equally important need to modernise the current system to meet rising demand for service now, and for years to come.
"The need is equally great in cities across the country, from Washington, DC to San Francisco, which is why we must keep pace with investments in a 21st century transportation systems that generations depend on."
Image: Red Line in Chicago. Photo: courtesy of Tripp.
