Santa's sleigh just got a lot bigger.
The Chicago Transit Authority has announced its 2019 holiday train and bus schedule, which continues through the end of December.
The holiday train and elves' workshop train will feature Santa on a sleigh at the front of the train, festive decor with thousands of twinkling lights and even elves with candy canes and more.
The train is a tradition decades in the making, beginning on the Blue Line in 1992 with a simple "Season's Greetings from the CTA" sign on a train that delivered food to various charities.
The 60-foot holiday bus will also be transformed into a "winter wonderland" with "Ralphie the Reindeer" and Santa's sleigh in tow. Strings of lights will outline the bus and its windows along with 3-D antlers up top and a ruby light at the front of the bus. Some riders will even be able to take photos with Santa.
The CTA Holiday train will make its way through all "L" lines in late-November and December from 1-8 p.m. on weekends and 3-7 p.m. on some weekdays. Every Saturday, the holiday train will be followed by the elves' workshop train to "allow more to enjoy this one of a kind holiday experience."
The holiday bus will run from Nov. 26 through Dec. 23. The train runs from Nov. 29 through Dec. 23.
Local
Here's a look at the full schedules:
BUS:
NOTE: Schedule times are approximate
Tue 11/26
#56 Milwaukee
12:28p
NB from Madison/Wabash
Wed 11/27
#56 Milwaukee
1:15
SB from Jefferson Park Blue Line
Photo session:
Jefferson Park Blue Line
approx. 4:20p-5:20p
Fri 11/29
#22 Clark/#97 Skokie
12:38p
WB as #97 from Howard Terminal to Old Orchard
Photo session:
Old Orchard
approx: 1:35p-2:30p
2:46p
EB from Old Orchard
3:55p
SB as #22 from Howard Terminal to Harrison/Clark
Sat 11/30
#22 Clark
12:30p
SB from Howard Terminal (Red/Purple/Yellow lines)
Photo session:
Howard Terminal
approx: 4:10p-5:05p
Sun 12/1
#92 Foster and #91 Austin
12:13p
WB as #92 from Berwyn Red Line to Jefferson Park Blue line
1:05p
SB as #91 from Jefferson Park Blue Line
5:40p
EB as #92 from Jefferson Park Blue Line to Berwyn Red Line
Tue 12/3
#66 Chicago
12:04p
EB from Chicago/Austin
Photo session:
Navy Pier
approx. 4:15p-5:15p
Wed 12/4
#66 Chicago
12:24p
EB from Chicago/Austin
Thu 12/5
#126 Jackson
1:00p
EB from Jackson/Austin
Fri 12/6
#12 Roosevelt
1:40p
EB from Harrison/Central
Photo session:
Harrison/Central
approx. 4:10p-5:10p
Sat 12/7
#12 Roosevelt
1:10p
EB from Harrison/Central
Wed 12/11
#62 Archer
12:40p
SB from Kinzie/Sate
Thu 12/12
#62 Archer
1:10p
NB from Midway Orange Line
Photo session:
Midway Orange Line
approx. 4:05p-5:05p
Fri 12/13
#49 Western and #X49 Western Exp.
12:39p
NB as #49 from 79th/Western
2:30p
SB as #X49 from Berwyn/Western
5:50p
NB as #X49 from 79th/Western
7:40p
SB as #49 from Berwyn/Western
Photo session:
79th/Western
approx. 4:25p-5:40p
Sat 12/14
#79 79th
12:44p
EB from 79th/Western
1:55p
WB from 79th/Lake Front
to Ford City Mall
Photo session:
Ford City Mall
approx. 3:25p-4:25p
Wed 12/18
#3 King Drive
1:35p
SB from Ontario/Fairbanks
Photo session:
@ 95th/Chicago State U.
approx. 3:20p-4:20p
Thu 12/19
#3 King Drive
12:20p
NB from 95th/Chicago State U.
Fri 12/20
#28 Stony Island
1:10p
NB from Olive Harvey College
to 47th/Lake Park
3:08p
NB from Olive Harvey College
to Union Station
Photo session:
Union Station
approx. 4:45p-5:45p
Sat 12/21
#29 State
12:03p
NB from 95th Red Line
Photo session:
Navy Pier
approx. 4:15p-5:15p
Sun 12/22
#29 State
12:30p
NB from 95th Red Line
Mon 12/23
#J14 Jeffrey Jump
11:17a
NB from 103rd/Stony Island
TRAIN:
* = Elves' Workshop Train to follow
Green Line & Orange Line Fri 11/29
Green Line Sat 11/30*
Green Line & Orange Line Tue 12/3
Orange Line & Brown Line Wed 12/4
Orange Line & Brown Line Thu 12/5
Orange Line & Brown Line Fri 12/6
Orange Line & Brown Line Sat 12/7*
Pink Line Tue 12/10
Pink Line Wed 12/11
Blue Line Thu 12/12
Blue Line Fri 12/13
Blue Line (+ photo-only stop on Pink Line) Sat 12/14*
Red Line Tue 12/17
Purple Line Wed 12/18
Red Line Thu 12/19
Purple Line Fri 12/20
Red Line & Purple Line Sat 12/21*
Yellow Line Skokie Swift Bird Fri 12/23
