Service Notes:

Hours of Operation: 4:30am-1:20am, Mon-Fri; 5:30am-2:20am, Sat; 6:30am-1:45am, Sun
Length of Route: 3.9 miles
Number of Stations: 9 stations
Car Types Assigned: 5000-series (see Car Assignment sheet for latest car assignments)

Brief Description:

The Purple Line, or "Evanston Line" was it was known before the CTA's adoption of color-coded line names in 1993, is the suburban portion of an approximately 8-mile extension of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad that was opened in 1908-12. Before the use of Howard station on the Chicago-Evanston city limits as a terminal, this entire extension was operated as one, unified branch through both cities. Today, however, the north 4 miles or so of this extension -- the part in suburban Evanston and Wilmette -- is operated as its own route, with the southern portion integrated into the Howard portion of the Red Line.

Important Dates:

• May 16, 1908 - Service is extended north to Central Street in Evanston, using trackage owned by Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. CM&StP had previously operated steam powered commuter trains over this line, and continued to operate freight service. The line remained at ground level, and was electrified with overhead trolley wire.
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• Late-October, 1908 -Construction of an elevated embankment begins in south Evanston.
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• 1910 - South Evanston's track elevation is completed.
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• February, 1912 - Northwestern Elevated President Britton I. Budd notifies Wilmette officials of his intention to construct a terminal and yard at Linden Avenue and 4th Street. Opposition develops, as Budd refuses an absurd franchise proposal from Wilmette officials.
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• April 1, 1912 - Under cover of night, a construction crew closes Laurel Avenue in Wilmette and constructs a half-car long platform a short spur track just south of Linden and about 150 feet east of 4th. Wilmette awakes to find itself with rapid transit to Chicago and, despite fears, becomes quite popular. The platform is lengthened later that year, plus a second track and temporary yard are added.
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• November 8, 1913 - A new, permanent station is added at Linden.
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• 1920 - The Evanston City Council orders the elevation of the tracks from University Place in Evanston to Isabella Street on the Evanston-Wilmette border. Financing difficulties stall the project for eight years.
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• 1921 - The Linden station is added onto. New "wings" on both sides give it a distinct Prairie School design. The Kinzie Street station is closed and demolished following the opening of a new Grand Avenue station a few blocks north. Elevation of the Lawrence-Howard section is virtually complete. A permanent northbound express track (the outer track on the east side) and permanent stations are yet to be completed. New station houses, built under the viaduct, are completed.
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• Summer, 1928 - Construction begins on the elevation of the tracks from University Place to Isabella Street in Evanston. The project is a joint effort between the CRT and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railway the same year).
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• October 4, 1928 - Northbound rail traffic is shifted onto a temporary wooden trestle, with southbound trains remaining on the ground in a double-deck fashion. This configuration would continue for just over two months. Double-deck stations are used.
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• December 7, 1928 - Southbound traffic is routed onto the trestle.
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• 1931 - Work on the permanent elevated embankment from University Place to Isabella Street is completed, though a short section of the embankment just north of Church Street would remain unfinished until the 1940s. The new South Boulevard station is completed, replacing the Calvary station (originally built to serve the cemetery of the same name across the street) nearby.
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• July 31, 1949 - The CTA institutes its massive North-South service revision. Service is streamlined into the following routes: Howard-Englewood, Howard-Jackson Park, Ravenswood (Kimball-Loop), and Evanston (Linden-Howard during non-rush hours, Linden-Loop during rush).
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• November 8, 1973 - Overhead trolley wire on the Evanston route is replaced with third rail. Prior to then, trolley poles were raised and lowered at the South Blvd. stop. This allows the retirement of the last of the 4000-series cars, the oldest dating back to 1913, which were last running on the Evanston Line.
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• October 2, 1994 - The CTA officially changes the last of its route names to color designations. Evanston Line now formally known as the Purple Line.