Sky 5 caught Santa and his elves riding the CTA Holiday Train on the Brown Line toward downtown Chicago on Friday evening.
The holiday season is officially here, and the CTA is helping Chicagoans get into the wintertime spirit with a longtime tradition.
The Allstate CTA Holiday Fleet began its yearly voyage on the Green Line on Friday, where it will continue to operate on Saturday and Tuesday.
The holiday train features numerous LED lights and signs throughout, with Santa and his reindeer joining commuters for the ride as well.
The holiday bus will begin service on Tuesday on the #56 Milwaukee route, the first of 16 routes the holiday bus will traverse this holiday season.
Additionally, all eight CTA rail lines will be served by the celebratory fleet.
Here's a look at when and where the CTA holiday train and bus will run this holiday season:
CTA Holiday Train Schedule:
- Nov. 25: Green Line
- Nov. 26: Green Line
- Nov. 29: Green Line
- Nov. 30: Orange, Brown Lines
- Dec. 1: Orange, Brown Lines
- Dec. 2: Orange, Brown Lines
- Dec. 3: Orange, Brown Lines
- Dec. 6: Red Line
- Dec. 7: Purple Line
- Dec. 8: Red Line
- Dec. 9: Purple Line
- Dec. 10: Red Line
- Dec. 13: Pink Line
- Dec. 14: Pink Line
- Dec. 15: Blue Line
- Dec. 16: Blue Line
- Dec. 17: Blue Line
- Dec. 19: Yellow Line
CTA Holiday Bus Schedule:
Beginning Nov. 29, the CTA Holiday Bus will travel through these 16 routes:
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- #56 Milwaukee: Nov. 29, 30
- #91 Austin: Dec. 1
- #92 Foster: Dec. 1
- #22 Clark: Dec. 2
- #97 Skokie: Dec. 3
- #74 Fullerton: Dec. 6
- #66 Chicago: Dec. 7, Dec. 8
- #126 Jackson: Dec. 9
- #12 Roosevelt: Dec. 10
- #62 Archer: Dec. 13
- #49 Western, #X49 Western Express: Dec. 14, Dec. 15
- #3 King Drive: Dec. 16, Dec. 17
- #79 79th: Dec. 20
- #28 Stony Island: Dec. 21
- #29 State: Dec. 22
- #J14 Jeffrey Jump: Dec. 23
The CTA isn't the only festive train rolling through the city, though. Metra will carry out its holiday rides on its Electric Line for three Saturdays this season: Dec. 3, 10 and 17.
Local
Both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus will accompany riders to downtown Chicago where they'll encounter a "winter wonderland" at Millennium Station, according to the transit agency.
Here's a look at when and where the Metra holiday train will run this holiday season:
Metra Holiday Train Schedule:
Inbound
| University Park | 11:00 a.m. |
| Richton Park | 11:03 a.m |
| 211th Street | 11:08 a.m. |
| Flossmoor | 11:13 a.m |
| Homewood | 11:15 a.m. |
| Calumet | 11:17 a.m. |
| Harvey | 11:22 a.m |
| 115th/Kensington | 11:32 a.m. |
| 55th/56th/57th | 11:42 a.m. |
| 51st/53rd | 11:44 a.m |
| Museum Campus | 11:53 a.m |
| Millennium Station | 11:58 a.m |
Outbound
| Millennium | 2:15 p.m. |
| Museum Campus | 2:20 p.m. |
| 51st/53rd | 2:29 p.m. |
| 55th/56th/57th | 2:31 p.m. |
| 115th/Kensington | 2:41 p.m. |
| Harvey | 2:50 p.m. |
| Calumet | 2:55 p.m. |
| Homewood | 2:57 p.m. |
| Flossmoor | 2:59 p.m. |
| 211th Street | 3:03 p.m. |
| Richton Park | 3:08 p.m. |
| University Park | 3:15 p.m. |
