Chicago’s Maroon Line

The Green Line is technically two services, one running to Ashland/63rd and another to Cottage Grove, but both branches currently share the same Loop routing. Trains operate along the Lake Street and Wabash sides, serving Clark/Lake, State/Lake, Washington/Wabash, Adams/Wabash, and Harold Washington Library–State/Van Buren. This creates a coverage gap for riders who need direct access to the western or southern sides of the Loop, including Washington/Wells, Quincy, and LaSalle/Van Buren. As a result, many Green Line passengers face additional transfers or longer walks within the Loop to reach their destinations, increasing congestion in downtown stations. The Maroon Line addresses this problem by giving the Cottage Grove branch its own identity and routing. From Harlem/Lake to Tower 18 it follows the Green Line, then diverts onto the Wells and Van Buren sides of the Loop to serve Washington/Wells, Quincy, and LaSalle/Van Buren before rejoining south of the Loop. It then continues to terminate at Cottage Grove. This separation provides clarity - Ashland/63rd trains remain Green while Cottage Grove trains become Maroon - while balancing Loop traffic, reducing transfers within the loop and allowing riders to access both east and west downtown directly. It also relieves Loop congestion by enabling transfers outside downtown.