There’s less than a month left for you to catch one of the most iconic Chicago holiday excursions of the year.
The Allstate CTA Holiday Train is set to travel all rail lines until late December as part of its regular rail service with each route’s usual stop. The last CTA Holiday Train will run on Dec. 21 and the last CTA Holiday Bus will run on Dec. 23.
Decked in twinkling lights, art, Christmas trees and Santa on his sleigh, the CTA holiday trains and buses help Chicagoans embark on magical journeys each wintertime. Riders can snap photos with Santa and enjoy candy from CTA employees dressed as elves.
Be sure to catch the remaining dates of the CTA holiday train before the end of the 2023 season.
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Here's the full schedule:
| 2023 Allstate CTA Holiday Train schedule All times p.m. | |
| Orange Line & Brown Line | Fri 12/1 Departing: Midway toward Loop, then Kimball at 3:07 Kimball toward Loop, then Midway at 4:41 |
| Orange Line & Brown Line & Photos with Santa | Sat 12/2 📷 Departing: Kimball toward Loop, then Midway at 12:53 Midway toward Loop, then Kimball at 4:01 Kimball toward Loop, then Midway at 6:39 |
| Red Line | Tue 12/5 Departing: Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 2:43 95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:19 |
| Purple Line | Wed 12/6 Departing: Howard to Linden at 3:15 Linden to Loop, via express, at 3:50 Loop (from Clark/Lake) to Linden at 4:38 Linden to Howard at 6:00 |
| Red Line | Thu 12/7 Departing: Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 3:13 95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:46 |
| Purple Line | Fri 12/8 Departing: Howard to Linden at 3:45 Linden to Loop, via express, at 4:20 Loop (from Clark/Lake) to Linden at 5:07 Linden to Howard at 6:20 |
| Red Line & Purple Line & Photos with Santa | Sat 12/9 📷 Departing: Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 12:16 95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 3:01 Howard to Linden at 4:16 Linden to Howard at 6:31 |
| Pink Line | Tue 12/12 Departing: 54th/Cermak to Loop at 2:43 Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 3:10 54th/Cermak to Loop at 4:16 Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 4:43 |
| Pink Line | Wed 12/13 Departing: 54th/Cermak to Loop at 3:06 Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 3:33 54th/Cermak to Loop at 4:44 Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 5:11 |
| Blue Line | Thu 12/14 Departing: O'Hare to Forest Park at 3:13 Forest Park to O'Hare at 4:57 |
| Blue Line | Fri 12/15 Departing: O'Hare to Forest Park at 4:13 Forest Park to O'Hare at 6:02 |
| Blue Line & Photos with Santa | Sat 12/16 📷 Departing: Illinois Medical District to Forest Park at 3:52 Forest Park to O'Hare at 3:53 |
| Yellow Line | Thu 12/21All trains on Yellow Line will be 2-car Holiday Trains for service departing: Howard from 3:08 until 6:53 Dempster-Skokie from 3:22 until 7:07 |
| 2023 Allstate CTA Holiday Bus schedule | ||
| Route | Date in service | Departure times |
| #22 Clark | Fri 12/1 | Approx. 12:45p until 8p |
| #22 Clark/ #97 Skokie | Sat 12/2 📷 | Approx.12:30p until 7p Photos at Old Orchard 1:30p-2:30p |
| #74 Fullerton | Tue 12/5 | Approx. 12:10p until 6:30p |
| #66 Chicago | Wed 12/6 📷 | Approx. 11:45a until 7:00p Photos at Navy Pier 4:20p-5:15p |
| Thu 12/7 | Approx. 12:20p until 7:30p | |
| #126 Jackson | Fri 12/8 📷 | Approx. 12:20p until 7:05p Photos at Jackson/Austin 3:00p-4:00p |
| #12 Roosevelt | Sat 12/9 📷 | Approx. 12:15p until 7:45p Photos at Harrison/Central 2:30p-3:30p |
| #62 Archer | Tue 12/12 📷 | Approx. 12:15p until 6:00p Photos at Midway 1:45p-2:45p |
| #49 Western#X49 Western Exp. | Wed 12/13 | Approx. 12:30p until 5:10p |
| Thu 12/14 📷 | Approx. 12:20p until 8:40pPhotos at 79th/Western 4:20p-5:15p | |
| #3 King Drive | Fri 12/15 | Approx. 12:20p until 8:15p |
| #79 79th | Sat 12/16 📷 | Approx. 12:10p until 5p Photos at Ford City 4:00p-5:00p |
| #28 Stony Island | Tue 12/19 📷 | Approx. 12:40p until 6:50p Photos at Union Station Bus Terminal 4:30p-5:30p |
| #J14 Jeffrey Jump | Wed 12/20 | Approx. 11:45a until 7:00p |
| #6 Jackson Park | Thu 12/21 📷 | Approx. 11:45a until 6:30p Photos at Wacker/Stetson 1:05p-2:05p |
| #29 State | Fri 12/22 | Approx. 12:20p until 8:05p |
| Sat 12/23 📷 | Approx. 12:15p until 7:30p Photos at Navy Pier 1:50p-2:50p |
