This year, the Chicago Transit Authority’s popular Pride Train has made its way back to the city with a new style in honor of June’s Pride Month celebration.
The train started running Monday on the Red Line and features a design that covers all eight cars. It features the transgender flag for the first time along with the Philly flag, a newer style of the traditional pride flag that was created in Philadelphia — it has black and brown stripes added to represent the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
The CTA’s Pride Train has run each year since 2017, when, at the time, it was the first public transportation agency to have this kind of train. The agency wanted to highlight its commitment to diversity and inclusion and to promote ridership during pre-pandemic times over Pride Weekend, when the Pride Parade saw the highest number of riders.
“The Pride Train is a colorful reminder that transit is for everyone,” said CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. in a news release. “We want all our riders to know that no matter who they love or how they identify, they are welcomed at the CTA.”
The Pride Train, which is only running on the Red Line, will be a regular part of service throughout the summer, with its end date still to be determined.
