Chicago kicked off the holiday season with the 34th annual Allstate Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Holiday Fleet, spreading festive cheer across the city.
The trains and buses dazzle Chicago neighborhoods with festive decorations, twinkling lights and holiday-themed wraps on every car, creating a spectacular seasonal display as they travel the city. Food basket donations are also part of the program.
On Nov. 28 and 29, the decorated Holiday Train operated on the Green Line, delighting passengers with lights, music and Santa; the 91 Austin Holiday Bus carried the holiday spirit through neighborhoods on Sunday.
CTA’s Chief Transit Officer Donald Bonds said that planning for the holiday train and bus begins as early as September, particularly if a new design is being considered since printing and installation take time. He explained that while many elements from the previous year are reused, the process still involves adding new features and adjustments to ensure both the bus and train are ready on schedule.
“We also have a new holiday button that we give to passengers. We create holiday pins for CTA staff and all of this gets wrapped into the plan, but it takes several months,” Bonds said. “Our planning department helps set up the routes for the bus, and we also have other tasks on the rail side, like making sure the schedule is printed and released to the public in a timely manner.”
This year, the CTA updated the bus wrap for the first time in about a decade. Bonds said that train and bus wraps are usually kept for several years after going through internal design processes.
When asked about unique stops or highlights on the Blue, Green and Pink lines, Bonds said that every stop is usually crowded, with Saturday picture days at key stations like Forest Park and O’Hare drawing long lines of riders eager to take photos with Santa.
Bonds said that the lights, decorations and music on the trains and buses play a central role in creating a festive atmosphere.
“We’ve updated the sound systems on both trains and buses to ensure the music is clear and can be easily heard; and when people get on, they join in with the songs that are being played,” Bonds said.
The lights on both the buses and trains are especially important, Bonds said, creating a festive atmosphere that stands out at night, while passengers often add to the holiday spirit by wearing their own lights and decorations.
The CTA’s holiday bus and train not only deliver festive cheer to passengers but also support the broader community through a food donation program. Each year, CTA employees donate their time and money to assemble and deliver food baskets – each containing a full holiday meal – to community organizations across Chicago, with approximately 400 baskets donated this year.
“We only have a limited amount of money that we try to maintain so we can continue this year after year. That’s why we set the target at around 400 to 500 boxes. But it’s a great help for all the communities across the city of Chicago. We don’t just focus on one side of town; we try to spread out across the city,” Bonds said.
The CTA has already selected recipients for the food donation program and begun preparations. The holiday bus plays a central role, transporting baskets along with Santa, elves and CTA staff, while a utility truck follows to deliver the donations directly to the organizations.
“We load the baskets onto the bus, and take Santa, elves and other CTA staff along,” Bonds said.
Bonds explained that the CTA selects holiday bus routes primarily based on ridership to ensure they serve the most passengers. They also consider whether the 60-foot bus can safely navigate the streets, since some routes are quite tight. Careful planning ensures the bus can operate efficiently while reaching key neighborhoods across the city.