Yellow Line (CTA)

The Yellow Line, also known as the Skokie Swift, is a branch of the Chicago "L" train system in Chicago, Illinois. The 4.7-mile (7.6 km) route runs from the Howard Terminal on the north side of Chicago, through the southern part of Evanston and to the Dempster Terminal in Skokie, Illinois, making one intermediate stop at Oakton Street in downtown Skokie. It is the shortest line in the system when not counting the Purple Line during off-peak hours. At Howard, Yellow Line passengers can transfer to the Purple or Red Lines of the "L". The Yellow Line is the only "L" line that does not go to The Loop and is the only "L" train route that is fully ADA accessible. It is also unique in that it runs in a below-grade trench for part of its length, even though it has no underground portions and does not run in an expressway median. It also includes grade segments and crossings at the western portion of the line. It was built using the tracks of the former Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad's high-speed Skokie Valley Route. Extending the line to Old Orchard Mall in Skokie has been discussed. From its original opening in 1925 until 1948, the line had several intermediate stops in Evanston and Skokie, but these stations have long been out of use and dismantled. In June 2010, however, construction began on a new station at Oakton, which opened on April 30, 2012. Trains operate using the Bombardier-built 5000-series railcars; each train consists of two cars. Average weekday boardings of 1,240 were reported in 2023, making it by far the least-used route in the CTA rail system. Until late 2009, the Yellow Line was operated with the 3200-series cars that were specially equipped with roof boards that, until...