CTA set to get $200 million for new trains

The Federal Transit Administration announced that the Chicago Transit Authority will be receiving $200 million in federal funding to replace aging railcars in the fleet to improve reliability, safety and accessibility. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the money is coming from the new Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, which was created to improve safety, service, and the customer experience on subways, commuter rail, and light rail systems. 

"Every day, millions of Americans rely on subways, commuter rail, and light rail to get to work or school, buy groceries, and see loved ones, but many railcars still in service are decades old and in need of replacement," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "These grants will help bring riders faster, safer, more reliable service on America’s rails."

For the CTA, the new funding provides the opportunity to buy up to 300 new electric propulsion passenger railcars to replace railcars that have been operating since the 1980s. This project will improve CTA’s state of good repair needs in a fleet where the average age of its railcars is nearly 40 years.

Exact details about the features of the new cars and timing of their delivery are currently unknown.