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London has the tube, Washington, D.C. has the Metro, and Chicago has
the El. The famous elevated train system--hence the name--is a city landmark in its own right, and the 410,000 people
who use the trains daily know from the rickety ride that the El has been around the Loop a few times. Choose one of the seven El lines below
to see the stops on that line.
Fares
The fare for the El is $1.50 for a one-way trip. Children under 7 years are free with a fare-paying rider. A transfer
card costs 30 cents, which allows two additional rides on CTA or Pace (suburban buses) within two hours of purchase.
Express buses 2, 6, 14 and 147 cost 25 cents extra if you're paying cash.
Fare Cards
Transit fare cards are available from machines at all El stops, and at Jewel and Dominick's supermarkets or currency
exchanges. They allow riders to store cash value, which is deducted each time the card is passed through the turnstile.
You have to put at least $3 on it to start with, so if you just want to travel one way one time, it's better to
pay with coins in the turnstile. Change machines are available at all stops. Also, as many as seven people traveling
together can use the same fare card by passing it to one another as they're going through the turnstile.
Passes and Tokens
30-day passes are available for $75 and can be purchased at currency
exchanges, Jewel and Dominick's. Senior citizens over age 65 and riders with disabilities can apply for a reduced fare permit. The CTA also
has a "1-day fun pass" for $5 that allows unlimited riding for 24 hours (these cannot be used on Pace,
however). There's also a $20 pass that allows unlimited use for
seven continuous days. Call (312) 836-7000 for more information.
Seasonal Info
CTA passengers can bring their bikes onto the El Memorial Day through Labor Day on weekends
only. All lines (Blue, Red, Brown, Orange, Green, Purple and Yellow) will allow bikes during this time. Here are
the rules and regulations for bringing your bike aboard:
•No more than two bikes per El car will be permitted at one time.
•No bikes will be permitted on escalators.
•Passengers must be at least 12 years of age to bring their bike on the train; riders 12-17 must be accompanied
by an adult.
•The handlebars of the bike cannot exceed 30 inches.
•The length of the bike itself cannot exceed 72 inches.
•No bikes will be allowed on trains on July 3, due to heavy passenger traffic.
Guide to Chicago Train Stations
Map design by Vasin Douglas
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