Deck The Cars: Here Is The 2023 CTA Holiday Train Schedule

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority has resumed service of its beloved holiday train and bus service, with Santa Claus and his elves traveling around the Chicago area to spread festive cheer.

The 2023 Allstate CTA Holiday train and bus travels more than a dozen routes through the city on each of its rail lines. The holiday "L" features a six-car train decorated with holiday scenes, sparkling lights and festive LED signs.

Santa and his reindeer ride outside the train to greet children and families as the train travels. Riders looking to track down the trains can use the CTA's train tracker, which will show a candy cane icon to indicate the location of the holiday train. (See full schedule below.)

The holiday bus travels along 16 routes. Outside, it showcases an illuminated "Ralphie the Reindeer," with a miniature village, holiday-themed seating, and Santa Claus in his sleigh inside. It can be tracked with the CTA's holiday bus tracker.

“This tradition is made possible by the CTA frontline employees who have spent months getting the 2023 Allstate CTA Holiday Train and Bus ready for service,” said CTA President Dorval Carter, announcing the holiday schedules.

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“I encourage passengers to pass along their appreciation to the elves onboard the holiday fleet, who will [share] those glad tidings with their fellow employees," Carter said.

The CTA Holiday Train began in 1992 as a way of delivering food to charities, with a simple "Season’s Greetings from the CTA" sign on an out-of-service Blue Line train.

Over the years, this initiative has evolved and become larger, but it still includes food donations, with holiday trains expected to deliver about 600 food baskets to community organizations across Chicago.

And for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, riders will be able to take photos with Santa Claus. CTA employees will be available to assist commuters to take photos using passengers' devices.

Photo sessions will be available at Red and Purple line stations on Dec. 9, with Claus scheduled to be the Howard station from 11:15 a.m. to noon, the 95th Street station from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m. and the Linden station in Wilmette from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.

On Dec. 16, Santa will be at the 54th/Cermak Pink Line station from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., at the Forest Park Blue Line station from 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. and at the O'Hare station from 4:30 to 5 p.m.

2023 CTA Holiday Train Tracker Schedule

Dec. 5
Red Line
Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 2:43 p.m.
95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:19 p.m.

Dec. 6
Purple Line
Howard to Linden at 3:15 p.m.
Linden to Loop, via express, at 3:50 p.m.
Loop (from Clark/Lake) to Linden at 4:38 p.m.
Linden to Howard at 6:00 p.m.

Dec. 7
Red Line
Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 3:13 p.m.
95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 4:46 p.m.

Dec. 8
Purple Line
Howard to Linden at 3:45 p.m.
Linden to Loop, via express, at 4:20 p.m.
Loop (from Clark/Lake) to Linden at 5:07 p.m.
Linden to Howard at 6:20 p.m.

Dec. 9
Red Line + Purple Line (with photos with Santa)
Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at 12:16 p.m.
95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at 3:01 p.m.
Howard to Linden at 4:16 p.m.
Linden to Howard at 6:31 p.m.

Dec. 12
Pink Line
54th/Cermak to Loop at 2:43 p.m.
Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 3:10 p.m.
54th/Cermak to Loop at 4:16 p.m.
Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 4:43 p.m.

Dec. 13
Pink Line
54th/Cermak to Loop at 3:06 p.m.
Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 3:33 p.m.
54th/Cermak to Loop at 4:44 p.m.
Loop (from Clark/Lake) to 54th/Cermak at 5:11 p.m.

Dec. 14
Blue Line
O'Hare to Forest Park at 3:13 p.m.
Forest Park to O'Hare at 4:57 p.m.

Dec. 15
Blue Line
O'Hare to Forest Park at 4:13 p.m.
Forest Park to O'Hare at 6:02 p.m.

Dec. 16
Blue Line (with photos with Santa)
Racine to Forest Park at 1:50 p.m.
Forest Park to O'Hare at 3:53 p.m.

Dec. 21
Yellow Line
Howard from 3:08 p.m.. until 6:53 p.m.
Dempster-Skokie from 3:22 p.m. until 7:07 p.m.
(Note: All trains on Yellow Line will be 2-car holiday trains. As of Dec. 4, CTA officials had not announced an anticipated date for the resumption of Yellow Line service following the Nov. 16 crash.)

Related: No CTA Yellow Line Reopening Date More Than 2 Weeks After Crash