None of this surprises me in the slightest. The platform to mezzanine escalator at the Monroe Red Line station was "temporarily" out of service for almost four months last year, after which it worked for another 2 months before breaking again. CTA needs better techs.

I agree in general. I've seen the escalator apes in action using sledge hammers to force things into place by pounding then into place. Likely not the best long-term approach.

However, in this case the escalator in question no longer exists. Nothing to repair by the CTA or anyone else.

They need to replace it ASAP.

New aviation commissioner says high-speed rail from ORD to Loop is a top priority:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-...infrastructure

Lots of good intentions in the article...but we all know what road is paved with good intentions. I hope she can deliver.

The new train from YYZ to the city of Toronto is great. Totally worth the $20-27 they charge, even if bus+subway is available for ~$5 or so. Compared to the 45-minute, $7 Blue Line ride, a $20-25 fare on a train that gets to d/t in 15-20 minutes - IMHO - would be reasonable.

But first, of course, they would have to figure out how to stop high-speed trains without using escalators. :D

Cost aside, I'm not sure how it would work logistically. The huge mothballed station at Block 37 only solves half the problem, as a ton of bypass tracks would need to be built along the Blue Line, without the space to build them.

Extending the ATS to the O'Hare Metra station is also an option, but given the roundabout route the NCS takes to get to the airport, I don't think that would be any faster than the L.

The NCS' route isn't roundabout, it just is different from the Blue Line. NCS goes mostly W then cuts NW, Blue line NW then W. The NCS route isn't the problem. AFAIK, the problem with NCS is freight. The tracks it runs on are too congested to run airport trains all day.

The other thing on this is, think big. If they're going to NCS tracks, then build some new trackage directly into the airport, don't use the slow ATS. I think ATS is going to get extended over there anyway at some point with the rental car facility.

I stand corrected; I just measured the NCS route vs the Blue Line, and you're right, the NCS is really only a mile and a half longer. The daily express from Union Station to ORD is scheduled at 27minutes. With dedicated trackage as you suggest, that could mean a ~30 minute ride, but again, freight is a problem. I'm not sure what alternatives exist that would be less congested along that line -- perhaps UP-NW to Jeff Park, and then follow the Blue Line the rest of the way?

30 min is not competitive enough. I think it really needs to be 20 min or so to command a fare premium over Blue Line. Including ATS in the picture also hurts: switching trains with luggage is a hassle, unless it can be done on the same platform.

So yeah, while it's a "priority", it may not be a "reality". :(

They couldn't even fix the Dan Ryan for 10 years or put in an escalator at ORD for how long is it now?

A high-speed train to ORD would take 50 years. And tens of billions probably. And a thousand lawsuits.

I think that's the real issue -- is it worth spending $X billion to get there 8 minutes faster? And how big a market is there for direct-to-Loop-only traffic?

I think about the Heathrow Express nonstop train from LHR to London (£20 or 25 one-way) versus the Heathrow Connect somewhat slower stopping service (£10 one way) versus the Piccadilly Line (£3.90 without Oyster), and there's an option for everyone -- although the HeX fare is pretty ridiculous and drops you in Paddington, not central London; the equivalent in Chicago might be getting dropped at Wrigley Field.

But the former two (HeX and Connect) were put in service on existing trunk rights of way, not carved out of the landscape fresh. The cost of the latter would have been prohibitive I think. I can't imagine how this scheme might work in Chicago.

+1

They did build the tracks from the trunk down into LHR. That would be similar (though longer) to building tracks from the NCS into ORD.

I just don't see the huge need. Yeah, some cities have an express train, but many others don't have a train from the airport to the city center at all.

Take NYC, it's impossible (LGA) or a hassle (EWR with the ATS-like connection to the train or JFK with the airtrain to get to the subway) to get to Manhattan via train. ORD and MDW both have L stations connected to the terminal (yeah, yeah, ATS from T5)

Some cities are able to offer a variety of options because they built enough tracks when it was still possible. In Chicago that battle was lost long ago when the original plan decided against express tracks. It is very difficult to undo such decisions and to special-case everything.

Nevertheless, if there is ever a special case, the airport certainly is. And no I dont think NYC's airport connectivity is role model for any other city. :)

I would like to see a circular track: O'Hare to Midway to Downtown to Ohare. When I say downtown, that station can anywhere within a few miles as long as it is well connected to other lines.

Another intriguing idea is to put a hub somewhere in the west and connect ORD, MDW and downtown to it.

Well those are my castles in the air. For something more do-able: Can't Blue Line have coaches which have well designed luggage holds?

I imagine those would come on a dedicated ORD service, not standard rolling stock.