North Side commuters saw their Monday rush turn into a slow crawl when the CTA suddenly halted Red, Brown, and Purple Line trains near Belmont because of signal problems. Trains were stopped in both directions at the height of the evening commute, leaving riders cooling their heels on crowded platforms and inside stalled cars while the agency dispatched crews and pointed people toward bus alternatives.
CTA Alert And Service Status
The Chicago Transit Authority's system status page posted a service disruption alert at 3:11 p.m. Monday, reading, "Red, Purple, and Brown Line Service Delayed at Belmont," and noted that crews were working to restore service. According to the Chicago Transit Authority, the delays were classified as major and remained in effect while the agency monitored the situation.
Shuttles Requested And Bus Alternatives
Per CBS Chicago, shuttle buses were requested for Brown Line service between Kimball and Belmont and for the Red and Purple lines between Howard and Belmont. CBS Chicago also reported that the CTA advised riders to consider nearby buses, including the #81 (Lawrence), #78 (Montrose), #80 (Irving Park), #36 (Broadway), and #70 (Division) while rail service was disrupted.
Riders Describe Long Holds
Commuters venting on social platforms said they were stuck for extended stretches. Posts on r/cta described trains held for 20 to 30 minutes and slow-moving crowds at Fullerton and Sheridan as northbound service bogged down. A thread on the r/cta subreddit on Reddit captured real-time updates from riders, closely matching the CTA's notice of standing trains near Belmont.
Why Belmont Matters
Belmont sits at a long-noted junction where the Red, Purple, and Brown lines converge, a configuration transit planners have targeted for fixes under the Red & Purple Modernization work meant to reduce bottlenecks in the corridor. Previous priority for upgrades coverage and CTA project pages have flagged the area as a key focus for reliability improvements.
Riders are advised to allow extra travel time and keep an eye on CTA alerts for further updates; this story will be updated when the agency posts a service restoration notice. Until then, buses and shuttle service remain the recommended alternatives while crews work on repairing the affected signals.
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