Nov. 28--Is that Santa Claus on the Orange Line? Starting Friday, it could very well be.
The Chicago Transit Authority's Holiday Train is scheduled to make its first trek of the season at 3:07 p.m. on an Orange Line track heading from Midway toward the Loop. Like every year, the holiday train, which features Santa Claus on an open-air flatcar as the train pulls into each station, will operate as part of regularly scheduled rail service, according to CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski. Normal CTA fares will apply.
On Friday, the holiday train is scheduled to continue on the Green Line beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Roosevelt stop toward Harlem/Lake. It is scheduled to run until about 7 p.m.
The train will run on each "L" line at different times through December and operates from about 1 to 8 p.m. on weekends and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on select weekdays. Schedules for each rail line will vary. To see the complete schedule, visit transitchicago.com/holidaytrain.
In addition to Santa, the holiday train is adorned with holiday seasonal images and with thousands of twinkling lights outlining the shape of the train and windows. Interiors are decked out with multicolored lights, bows, garland and red and green overhead lighting. Hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes, according to the CTA website.
"You're a kid again when you see it," said Hosinski. "It doesn't matter how old you are, you see it and you're just so excited."
This year, the holiday train will be joined for the first time by a Holiday Bus, a 60-foot vehicle featuring strings of lights and 3-D antlers affixed on top. Holiday-themed seating, candy cane striping and elves handing out candy canes on board complement the exterior, according to the CTA website.
The bus will begin service Tuesday.
