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Chicago Transit adds new Train Tracker features

Enhancements will include adding alerts of relevant temporary service changes, such as planned service alternatives or unexpected delays, on most displays found at stations, including on platforms and in stationhouses.

March 5, 2014
2 min to read


The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is adding new features to its popular CTA Train Tracker electronic screens at rail stations. The improvements will help customers get additional travel information more quickly and easily as they wait for trains.

One of the enhancements to CTA Train Tracker will include adding alerts of relevant temporary service changes, such as planned service alternatives or unexpected delays, on most Train Tracker displays found at stations, including on platforms and in stationhouses.

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In addition, CTA Train Tracker signs will reconfigure train arrival information to better show the most immediate trains that are coming in either direction, even for stations serving multiple train lines — so customers don’t have to wait for the Train Tracker display to scroll through multiple arrival times to get to the train arrival times they want.

All CTA stations have at least one CTA Train Tracker electronic display installed, and the CTA anticipates eventually having 1,000 Train Tracker displays installed at its 145 rail stations.

CTA Train Tracker was launched in 2011 to provide estimated train arrival times for all 145 rail stations across CTA’s eight lines and is available online at transitchicago.com and via mobile phones on CTA’s mobile site.

It’s also found on many third-party apps via an application program interface, which was created by the CTA to allow third-party developers to tap into the data that powers both CTA Train Tracker and Bus Tracker and produce innovative Web and mobile apps that can provide transit features to users.

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