CTA retires last of 2400-series rail cars

After nearly 40 years of service, the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) 2400-series rail cars made their last run yesterday, as the agency retired the last eight remaining cars in service.

Produced in 1976-78, the cars are being replaced with 5000-series cars as part of the CTA's plan to modernize its rail fleet. More than 600 of the new cars have been deployed to the Red, Purple, Yellow, Pink and Green lines. A total of 714 new cars are expected to be in place by year's end, CTA officials said in a press release.

The 2400-series vehicles were built by Boeing-Vertol. Their interior and exterior designs were developed by industrial design firm Sundberg-Ferar, which also worked on rail cars used by Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. The CTA's 2400-series are the only heavy-rail rapid transit cars Boeing ever manufactured, according to the authority.

CTA retired 200 of the 2400-series cars. The agency retains two dozen of the cars that have been modified to serve as maintenance-work trains.