Orange Line Throws Riders for a Loop

By Scott Smith in News on Dec 12, 2006 7:40PM

We woke up this morning to news that the CTA’s Orange Line train is running in the opposite direction around the Loop, which strikes us as so ridiculous that we’ve decided to finish the rest of this post in limerick form.

The Orange line is all loosey-goosey
Or so says its Prez Frank Kruesi
A defective switch
Has caused the glitch
Screwing rush hour for all that you see

After Roosevelt, toward Adams you’ll travel
Counterclockwise, try not to unravel
'Round the Loop then you’ll fly
As you exclaim with a sigh
“It’s better than a horse with no saddle.”

Board the train on the opposite platform
From the side that’s usually your norm
There’s no fix in sight
To put it all right
Not to mention the incoming rain storm

Update - 10:08 a.m: Not only is the Orange Line problem affecting all Loop service, but the southbound Red Line is being re-rerouted over the elevated tracks between Fullerton and Cermak-Chinatown. Northbound Red Line trains are not affected.
Update - 12:04 p.m.: Southbound Red Line subway service has been restored between Fullerton and Cermak-Chinatown. Orange Line is still bass-ackwards.
Update - 1:37 p.m.: The Orange Line will run counterclockwise around the Loop through the afternoon rush hour and into tomorrow morning. Customers will need to board it on the Brown Line platform. In order to repair the switch that caused the problem, the Pink Line will also run in the opposite direction (its first stop in the Loop will be at Washington/Wells) after 9 p.m. tonight through Wednesday morning. Customers will need to use the Brown Line platform for boarding it as well. No pushing or shoving now, OK?