Electric Facilities and Operating Plan for the First Chicago Subway

Abstract

The $64,000,000 subway project now being completed will provide long- needed rapid-transit terminal facilities in the Chicago downtown district. The State Street subway will be completely equipped and in operation early in 1943 and will constitute a major contribution to the problem of handling additional traffic resulting from a decrease in the use of passenger automobiles. This first subway route is five miles long and with fixed equipment will cost almost $34,000,000. The subways were built with track sections in tunnel-at low level. Platforms 500 feet long are provided at stations, except in the congested area where there is a continuous island platform 3,300 feet in length with access provided by mezzanine stations in each block. All fixed equipment is being installed by the city. Despite the delay in securing equipment because of present scarcity of critical materials, the entire project will be built and equipped in a period of four years. This high-speed construction program required expeditious planning of locations for all electric facilities. Power will be 600 volts direct-current. The 144-pound contact rail will be energized by existing substations and energy delivered by conventional positive and negative feeders, with contact rails reinforced with parallel feeders. Adequate sectionalization of the entire system is provided largely by automatic operation. Centralized supervisory control of the all-relay type includes most modern accessories, such as an illuminated diagram board and remote-control dispatching equipment. Train movements will be controlled throughout by a modern signal and electropneumatic interlocking system with automatic stops.