Red Line train pulling into underground station
A Red Line train heading south pulls into the Monroe station in the Loop on April 30, 2023. Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times
Red Line train pulling into underground station
A Red Line train heading south pulls into the Monroe station in the Loop on April 30, 2023. Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times

The Chicago Transit Authority says it has had a surge in hiring and training rail operators in the past year.

The aggressive hiring campaign is the cornerstone of the transit agency’s “Meeting the Moment” plan — an ambitious blueprint to boost ridership and return service back to pre-pandemic levels.

WBEZ’s Claudia Morell spoke with two officials at the CTA about their ongoing efforts to fill those vacancies and what that could mean for commuters.

The conversation starts off with the CTA’s Chief Administrative Officer Tom McKone and includes CTA spokesperson Brian Steele.

Red Line train pulling into underground station
A Red Line train heading south pulls into the Monroe station in the Loop on April 30, 2023. Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times
Red Line train pulling into underground station
A Red Line train heading south pulls into the Monroe station in the Loop on April 30, 2023. Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times

The Chicago Transit Authority says it has had a surge in hiring and training rail operators in the past year.

The aggressive hiring campaign is the cornerstone of the transit agency’s “Meeting the Moment” plan — an ambitious blueprint to boost ridership and return service back to pre-pandemic levels.

WBEZ’s Claudia Morell spoke with two officials at the CTA about their ongoing efforts to fill those vacancies and what that could mean for commuters.

The conversation starts off with the CTA’s Chief Administrative Officer Tom McKone and includes CTA spokesperson Brian Steele.