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12/23/2024
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) met two milestones last week: the training and qualifying of more than 200 new rail operators and the hiring of more than 1,000 new bus operators in 2024. These achievements were critical to helping the agency reach pre-pandemic service levels across the rail and bus systems before the end of the year.
“We have reached and surpassed our goal of qualifying 200 new rail operators this year — an achievement that was vital to reestablishing the level of rail service our riders expect,” said CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. in a press release.
At the start of 2024, Carter set a goal to double the CTA’s typical intake of new rail operator trainees. The workforce expansion ensures CTA has the personnel needed to meet planned service enhancements in 2025, CTA officials said.
This fall, CTA restored pre-pandemic service levels across all eight rail lines with a 20% boost in scheduled weekly roundtrips. The system now provides over 1,200 additional weekly rail trips compared to spring 2024, they said.