The Orange Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is approximately 13 miles long and runs on elevated and at grade tracks and serves the Southwest Side, running from the Loop to Midway International Airport.
The Orange Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is approximately 13 miles long and runs on elevated and at grade tracks and serves the Southwest Side, running from the Loop to Midway International Airport.
From here, the line rises to an elevated viaduct at 55th Street and continues northeast towards the city on railroad right-of-way. Near the intersection of 49th Street and Lawndale Avenue, the line turns east along a CSX right-of-way to a point east of Western Boulevard, then curves north and northwest on embankment structure along CSX right-of-way to Western Boulevard and Pershing Road.
From here, the line rises on elevated structure again and makes a curve to cross Archer Avenue, the CSX tracks and Western Boulevard before descending onto Illinois Central Railroad right-of-way immediately east of Western Boulevard. Entering the IC right-of-way, the line again changes from elevated structure to surface level. The line continues on surface level to Ashland Avenue where it crosses a bridge over Bubbly Creek, a fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River. At this point, the line enters the joint Illinois Central and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way continuing on embankment to Canal Street.
There the line again transitions to the elevated structure to bridge Canal Street, Cermak Road and the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad tracks then curves east to run along the south side of 18th Street, crossing over the Red Line and the Rock Island District tracks near Wentworth Avenue, before joining the South Side Elevated at a flying junction between 16th and 17th Streets. The ballasted track ends and the timber deck begins here. Orange Line trains share the tracks with the Green Line operating from this junction to Tower 12 at the southeast corner of the Loop. Orange Line trains operate clockwise around the inner loop before returning to Midway.
Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Line_(CTA)
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