Railway · United States

How much did the expansion of Chicago 'L' — Brown Line Capacity Expansion cost?

The Brown Line Capacity Expansion was a modernization of one route within Chicago's 'L' rail network, not the cost of constructing the entire network. The Chicago Transit Authority renovated 18 stations, lengthened platforms at 16 of them to permit eight-car rather than six-car trains, added accessibility features, and upgraded traction power and signals. Eight-car service began in March 2008, and CTA celebrated completion of the station programme in January 2010. CTA described the completed programme as a USD 530 million project finished on budget; the amount was its whole-programme budget and reported cost, not a separately audited final account. A separate USD 94.3 million construction contract covered the Belmont and Fullerton station rebuilds and is included within the wider programme. The photograph shows an Orange Line train elsewhere on Chicago's 'L', not the Brown Line work itself.