CTA's New 'L' Cars To Hit Brown Line
CHICAGO (WBBM) - The CTA's newest 'L' cars are on the move again.
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Early next week they'll move from the Orange Line to the Brown Line. The Brown Line is the fifth rapid transit line on which the cars will be tested. Prior to the Orange Line tests, the cars ran on the Blue, Green and Red Lines.
A CTA spokesperson said the cars have had no recent issues. The cars were withdrawn from service May 27 for several weeks while changes were made to their braking systems.
CTA has mandated a year of tests, involving all of its rapid transit lines, for the 10 prototype cars, which represent a radical departure in technology. The cars are propelled by alternating current motors, which have never before been used on Chicago rapid transit equipment.
As a result, they cannot run in the same train with older cars, all of which have direct current motors.
The cars are readily identifiable by their LED route signs, hand straps for standees and on-board maps that show where the train is at all times. Testing will continue through April.
