page_title: Purple Line (CTA)
section_title: Routing
hierarchical_section_title: Purple Line (CTA) / Operation / Routing
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Blick nach Norden von der Elevated Station Adams and Wabash English: Looking north from Chicago 'L' station Français&#160;: Vue depuis la station Adams and Wabash du métro aérien de Chicago vers le nord.
context_page_description: The Purple Line of the Chicago "L" is a 3.9-mile route on the northernmost section of the system. Normally, it extends south from Linden in Wilmette, passing through Evanston to Howard, on Chicago's North Side. In 2016, the average weekday boardings on the Purple Line was 10,187. It is the shortest route in the CTA rail system.
  During weekday rush hours, the Purple Line extends another 10.3 miles south from Howard to downtown Chicago running express from Howard to Belmont, with a single stop at Wilson, and then making all local stops to the Loop. The express service is known as the Purple Line Express.
  Prior to the color-coding of CTA rail lines in 1993, the Purple Line was known as the Evanston Line, Evanston Service or Evanston Shuttle, and the Purple Line Express was called the Evanston Express.
  The Purple Line is useful for reaching Northwestern University, including the sports facilities Ryan Field, Rocky Miller Park, Welsh-Ryan Arena, and Canal Shores Golf Course all at the Central stop and the Bahá'í House of Worship at Linden. The selection of purple as the line's color was likely from Northwestern's official school color.
context_section_description: The original routing of the Purple Line Express was clockwise around the Inner Loop track via Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells, making all Loop stops before returning to Merchandise Mart and making all stops northbound to Linden. Beginning April 2, 2007, the Purple Line Express was rerouted onto the Outer Loop track along with the Brown Line due to the construction at the Belmont and Fullerton stations (see below). Prior to this, Purple Line Express trains were occasionally diverted to the Outer Loop track in the event of emergencies or signal problems in the Loop. On December 4, 2008, the CTA announced that the Purple Line Express would return to the original Inner Loop routing on December 29.
  If a problem occurs on the North Side Main Line between the Loop and the Fullerton station, the Purple Line is generally routed into the State Street subway, following the Red Line to Roosevelt before returning north.
  For several years, inbound afternoon Purple Line Express trains stopped at Addison before weekday evening Chicago Cubs baseball games, in order to provide direct service to Wrigley Field for passengers from northern Chicago, Evanston and Skokie. However, because of a platform reconfiguration in the early 1990s, trains had to cross over to the inner Red Line tracks, as there is no platform access to the outer tracks at Addison. As a result of the Brown Line construction and in effort to minimize delays, trains now stop one station north at Sheridan Road before evening Cubs games. The station was constructed with two island platforms that can access the express tracks, eliminating the need for trains to switch over.
caption: Northward view from the Adams/Wabash station at night
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