CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The CTA is adjusting its rail schedule starting this weekend, and officials said it should mean more consistent, reliable service for riders.
The CTA tweaks its rail schedule twice a year to better align with the workforce it has. According to spokesman Brian Steele, right now, the agency is down 650 bus drivers and more than 100 rail operators.
Steele said that, although riders should see some improvement in the schedule, more work needs to be done.
“Instead of waiting five minutes for one train and 20 minutes for the next train and then 15 minutes for the train after that, they want more steady, even service. That’s what this schedule is going to do,” he said.
Steele said that, with the new schedule, riders checking the CTA rail tracker website should see fewer instances of so-called “ghost trains." Those are trains that appear on the tracker one moment and then disappear because they’re scheduled but may not have enough people to actually operate them.
“This new schedule, because it’s based on the actual manpower that we have, not only will it provide consistent and reliable service for customers, but it will help us provide more accurate information on our trackers.”
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Steele said unfortunately the problem of so-called “ghost trains” will not disappear but should lessen. That’s because the CTA is still hundreds of train operators short and, when workers call in sick or have emergencies, their trains can’t run but still appear on the rail tracker website, frustrating riders.
Steele said the CTA has been making a big effort to recruit and train new bus and train operators and has held a dozen job fairs this year, so far. He said the jobs provide good salaries and benefits and offer flexibility in scheduling.
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