CTA Awards $17 Million Forest Park Branch Track Design Contract
AECOM Technical Services will design 13 miles of Blue Line track as part of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Remote Work
Live Poll
Do you think public transit service in your area is getting better?
The Chicago Transit Authority board awarded a $17 million track design contract to AECOM Technical Services for a 13-mile segment between the Illinois Medical District station and the Interstate-290 Bridge. The contract begins the next phase of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild project.
Why it matters
More than 80% of the Forest Park Branch currently requires trains to operate at drastically reduced speeds for safety, making the rebuild a priority for Chicago Blue Line riders. The contract advances a multi-year, multi-phased investment program to reconstruct the entire branch.
The $17 million contract is backed by a $15.8 million federal grant, and local partner firms will account for more than 15% of the contract work. The filing does not detail how the remaining construction costs will be funded.
The players
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
The CTA operates Chicago's public rail and bus network, including the Blue Line's Forest Park Branch, and its board approved the contract.
AECOM Technical Services
AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm that won the track design contract and leads the design team.
The details
The contract scope spans track, signals, traction power, drainage, utilities and other facilities within the CTA right-of-way, and includes a field investigation of the entire corridor. AECOM is partnering with DB Sterling Consultants, Facet Engineering and GSG Consultants, and the work includes a review of drainage elements along the I-290 expressway shoulders.
Timeline
2023: First phase of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild was completed.
2027: Construction on a third segment is scheduled to start.
Remote Work Outlook
Chicago's Blue Line rebuild is funded in part through the federal Carbon Reduction Grant Program, linking local transit reconstruction to national emissions-reduction funding. For commuters who work remotely, reliability upgrades on lines like the Forest Park Branch affect how often they travel to downtown offices.
Riders on the Forest Park Branch can expect the rebuild to eventually reduce the number of slow zones that now slow trains on more than 80% of the line. The work is a multi-year project, so changes will arrive in phases rather than all at once.
The takeaway
Commuters on Chicago's Blue Line should watch for phased construction announcements as the Forest Park Branch Rebuild moves toward its 2027 third-segment start.
What happens next
Construction on the third segment of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild is scheduled to start in 2027.
Further reading
Explore more Remote Work coverage for Chicago commuters affected by transit changes.
Live Poll
Do you think public transit service in your area is getting better?
