CTA expands holiday-themed service with new Elves' Workshop Train

The CTA is doubling down on helping riders get into the holiday spirit with the addition of a second holiday-themed train this season.

The annual festive train service will be expanded by adding an additional six-car train — called the Elves' Workshop Train — which starts traveling on the tracks later this month, the CTA announced Friday.

Like the popular Holiday Train, the new Elves' Workshop Train will be adorned with twinkle lights and decked out with garland, red bows and candy cane-striped poles. Santa's elves will greet passengers with candy canes, as employees do on the Holiday Train and Holiday Bus.

While the Holiday Train runs throughout the week, the new Elves train will run Saturdays only, described by CTA as the busiest days for Holiday Train riders.

The Holiday Train and Holiday Bus will be operational this Saturday as part of the BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. The CTA bus is part of the parade, which goes down Michigan Avenue from Oak Street south to Wacker Drive, CTA spokesman Jeff Tolman said.

The Holiday Train, which will run on all eight rail lines, starts on the Red Line at the Howard station heading south toward 95th Street at 4:43 p.m. Saturday and will return to Howard station at 7:42 p.m., according to the CTA schedule.

Regular Holiday Train service will roll out the day after Thanksgiving.

Up first is the Green Line on Nov. 25, 26 and 29.

Travelers heading to Midway could catch the Holiday Train when it runs Nov. 29 through Dec. 3 on the Orange Line.

Brown Line passengers can get a holiday ride Nov. 30 through Dec. 3.

The train heads to the Pink Line on Dec. 6 and 7, and will run on the Blue Line for three days beginning Dec. 8.

Commuters will see it alternate from the Red Line on Dec. 13 to the Purple Line on Dec. 14 and flip flop again. On Dec. 17, the train will run on the Red Line and Purple Line before hitting the Purple Line Express on Dec. 22.

Yellow Line riders can catch the holiday train Dec. 23.

The Elves' Workshop Train will begin Saturday service Nov. 26 when it runs on the Green Line. The remaining three Saturdays are Dec. 3 on the Orange Line and Brown Line, Dec. 10 on the Blue Line and Dec. 17 on the Red Line and Purple Line.

The Holiday Bus will get moving Nov. 29 and run on 13 routes. In the past, the 60-foot bus was decorated with bright lights and dangling snowflakes, a North Pole bus stop sign on board and a special seat for Santa, flanked by toy soldiers at the back of the bus.

Passengers who want to ride on the festive trains can use the CTA Train Tracker, which will indicate the train's arrival information using a candy cane symbol. There's a separate Holiday Bus tracker at http://transitchicago.com/holidaybustracker.

The full schedule of the holiday trains and bus is available at http://transitchicago.com/holiday.

Regular CTA fares apply — $2.25 for the train and $2 for the bus.

Original Article Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune and Lenoro Vivanco