Table Of Contents - Chicago Transit Authority

CTA Express Airport Train Service Business Plan
rest of the fleet provides airport service. As with the interior overhaul, these mechanical
improvements would not be done by CTA. Under favorable schedule conditions all cars could receive
a mid-life overhaul by mid to late 2009.
Rationale: With only two years until the downtown station is scheduled to open, CTA must quickly
begin the process of preparing premium rail cars for use in the service. While the cycling
process is not preferred for car rehabilitation, it appears to be necessary to meet The
Mills Corporation deadline.
4. CTA should contract with the private sector management company to be the provider of train
operations and maintenance services for the service.
Rationale: A management company would purchase operating and maintenance functions from CTA
since CTA employees are already trained to operate the cars that will be used for the
Direct Service and CTA currently has facilities to accommodate rail car maintenance. For
example, operating a dedicated maintenance facility for the relatively small number of
airport train rail cars would be highly inefficient.
5. Begin providing Direct Service using partially rehabilitated rail cars when the 108 N. State Street
station opens in 2008. Running times would be the same as a trip on a local Blue or Orange Line
train. The concessionaire will have full authority to set fares for the premium rail service and will
integrate its fare policies with CTA’s existing and future fare policies in a manner to be mutually
agreed upon.
Rationale: Rolling out the Direct Service at this time primarily allows CTA to comply with its
contractual obligation, but also begins to establish a market for the service and
familiarizes residents and visitors with the downtown station and transit as an improved
option for airport trips.
Strong positioning and understanding of the airport train service brand will be extremely
important to the Service’s success. For starters, a clear divide must be achieved between
the airport service and existing CTA local service in order to validate the higher fares.
Similar to the differentiators, accentuating the service as direct and reliable would be
attractive to potential customers. The convenience of the airport and downtown station
locations and focus on customer service should also be highlighted.
6. Develop a long-term risk sharing and financial partnership with the Chicago Airport System, the
business community and other stakeholders to improve the viability of a long-term management
agreement for the Express Airport Train Service.
Rationale: These partnerships are necessary since delivery of the Express Service requires
substantial investment in capital improvements. Other stakeholders, and in particular the
airports, would receive substantial benefits from the implementation of an airport service
and should share in the costs and risk. Contributed capital or funding to guarantee
certain revenue levels would greatly help attract consortia of private sector companies to
build and operate the Express Service.
7. Exercise the contract option for the new express rail cars in 2011 for delivery in 2015 and introduce
these cars into the service as they become available.
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