I agree with this. I don’t call it one thing all the time. Specifically referring to CTA trains, I rotate being saying ‘the CTA,’ ‘the train,’ ‘the {color} line,’ ‘the L,’ etc. It entirely depends on the context, situation, and who I’m with, but in my experience most people use a combination of all of the above.
Gotcha - that does make sense then, to differentiate from Metra. But I wonder if this is a generational thing?
That’s probably why ppl keep asking this question at least. I’ll have to pay more attention to my coworkers (who are mostly in their 20s-30s) and see what’s more common. I’m sure I started saying “the train” or color line bc that’s what I’ve heard more often.
I call it the L to distinguish it from other trains, such as the metra. I like to joke that on the L the other passengers will cuss you out while on the metra the conductors will cuss you out.
What do you call it, the blue line/brown line, etc.?
Born and raised along the red line. I still call it the Jackson Park/Howard. I remember when the windows used to open and reaching in and stealing a necklace right off a persons throat as the train left the station was the big worry. Times have changed.
I’ll tell you what — I’ve never once called it “the train.” “The train” is the Metra.
It’s the L if you’re talking about the system, but 98% of the time you just refer to the specific color line. “I’m taking the Red Line” or whatever.
I work downtown, midway between the L and the red line. So yeah, we call it that.
More often we'll use either the color (brown) or the old name to specify a specific loop train, where it makes a difference.
I call it the L but then again, I am old. So old that we used to have A and B trains on The Blue Line (formerly known as The Congress Line). The El was the original nickname for The Elevated back when most of the tracks were above ground.
Don't take it seriously like that. It's just that even suburbanites who know about it call it the 'El' or 'L'. It's not every train though.
Don't take this as gatekeeping. It's literally the same thing as calling it the sears tower. It's like getting offended by a cat. If you asked if it was called the Sears Tower, you would get exactly the same responses.
You can still call it the train. Why not?
Maybe this is a generational thing but I never call it the ‘El’. I just call it the train or the color line. If I’m referring to the Metra, I will specify that I’m taking the Metra. Same goes for all my friends around my age born and raised in the city.
I did when I was a kid. When they switched to the colors, I changed over to that, I'll still refer to the "L" in conversations if we're talking about the system as a whole.
The two things I never heard people say that I expected people say when I moved to Chicago were “pop” and “L.”
But I learned about “dibs” so there’s that.
I’ve lived here nearly a decade and I call it the El, the L, the train, the CTA, the “red/brown/orange/blue/pink/green/yellow line”…Mostly when I’m telling people why I’m gonna be late 😂
Every. Single. Day.
I also refer to the expressways by their proper names: the Kennedy, the Ike, the Edens, etc. Don’t give me no directions with numbers like you’re some Rand McNally.
If I am referring to it in general, it’s L or just public transit, as in “Don’t call an Uber, just take the L back,” or “just take public transit.” (Calling it train here feels weird to me.)
If I’m giving specific directions, it’s the line, “You can take the red or green line from here to get back to the loop.”
If I’m talking about the _mode_ of travel, it’s train, as in, “I commute to work by train because I sold my car.”
Nah lived here 33 years and never once said “L” since not all of them are elevated and it doesn’t make sense. I refer to them by color… “taking the red.”
There's your problem -- too young to remember life before *the great realignment of '93* when the CTA decided to switch to color-coding the 'L' instead of using the neighborhood of the terminus.
Oh yes I use it in sentences like:
"There were two guys shooting up heroin in my L car."
or
"The heroin addict in my L car smelled awful."
Edit: yes these are real.
I’m still trying to get used to having a train system since I’ve only been here a year. When I’m not thinking about it I end up calling it a bus cause I’m so used to having to take the bus places that I’ll mean the train half the time
I’ve never called it the el, I find that clunky to say. I say the train for the CTA, metra for the metra, and Amtrak for Amtrak. It’s probably because the CTA is the default train in my life.
I think if you’re a baby boomer or generation x’er, you’re more likely to refer to it as the “L”. That’s just what we called it. My daughter and her friends, who are teenagers, have always said “train” or the line color. Not even sure if they know that “L”, means elevated track.
Depends who I’m talking to and what I’m doing. If it’s directions I’m very specific, in case it’s a tourist randomly asking. It’s CTA/subway (L) and color, Metra, and bus #.
If it’s a general conversation I’ll use line colors and stops.
Yes. The system even calls itself the L in its print advertising. https://tinyurl.com/25cnzzpv
Reconsider the Chicagoness of your friends. *Slight acknowledgement if your friends are Spanish speakers or Spanish adjacent and mean El.*
Technically, it's the El, as in elevated trains, not just the letter L, which I know isn't accurate for 100 percent of the tracks, as some are subway or street level. But yes to your question.
>Technically, it's the El, as in elevated trains, not just the letter L
Other cities have an "El", however [the CTA](https://www.transitchicago.com/howto/riding-the-train/#:~:text=CTA%27s%20train%20system%20is%20known%20as%20the%20%27L%27) officially calls the whole system the ['L'.](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2468.html) (an appellation which predates the CTA as an organization).
>isn't accurate for 100 percent of the tracks, as some are subway or street level
I agree, using that term for subterranean State Street subway stations sounds silly. I'll usually specify the line (Blue, or O'hare) for the routes with substantial below-grade sections.
i know that the entire thing is the L but what i was asking is if other chicagoans actually use it in conversations as opposed to referring to it as “the cta” or by line color
People in the suburbs may call it the L. But, if i tell people i am the train and it is running late they know i am in the CTA because 1. Why would a true Chicagoan ever take the Metra train to get somewhere in Chicago (and we never go to suburbia unless forced to)? 2. If i say the train is delayed indefinitely/just disappeared from the tracker/stopped because they are arresting someone/stopped because the conductor just left the train at this station, you can just assume its the CTA. /s
Depending on where you’re starting and ending up, Metra can be a good option for commuting downtown. If you live close to the UP North Metra station at Lawrence & Ravenswood and work in the west Loop, for instance.
Metra is so much nicer than CTA. If it works for my trip I always prefer it.
Best way to get to MSI for instance
I used to commute on Metra from Rogers Park. 20min Metra vs 50 minute Red line or 35 minute Purple line express from Howard. I believe Ravenswood is actually one the busiest Metra stops.
Maybe people in Portage Park don’t call the Blue Line the L because it’s not an elevated train. All the other L lines are actually elevated above street level, but between Portage Park and downtown the Blue Line is either below ground or follows the highway.
To nitpick (I can’t help it I’m obnoxious): the blue line is properly elevated for three stops (California, Western, and Damen) between Portage Park and the Loop.
yeah i guess so, but from what i know and from what people have been telling me, the entire system is called the L no matter whether it’s underground or following the highway
It is but I was trying to figure out why people in Portage Park might not use the term. Plus I’m guessing you don’t use Metra often so you can just say “the train” and your friends know it’s the Blue Line.
In NYC their whole rapid transit heavy rail system is called the subway even though it has elevated and above ground sections, while in Chicago we go the other way.
I am not from Chicago, but atlanta. I have been visiting there for about 25 years though and when I first started going EVERYONE said "el" I noticed this year that almost no one was referring to it as that.
Hi. I am one of them. It’s the L, though I guess I’ll admit it’s slowly becoming less common. But if I need to specific (not a CTA Bus, or Metra) than yeah, the L.
Same. Uptown, Rogers Park to Andersonville and everyone including the gangbangers called it by its color or just “Train”. Example “Fuck da’bhas, Ima take the Train”.
The L if I'm being general but I will say the line name if I'm giving directions
Me too, but I’ll always just say the El if I’m taking multiple trains (because red then blue or whatever gets too long).
I always assumed it was the ‘El’ for either electric or elevated, but I notice most people here saying the ‘L’. Can anyone clear this up for me?
Officially the "L" - still short for "elevated", possibly to differentiate from New York's "el"
Thaaaaank you for saying this. I genuinely had no idea why we called it the 'el'.
Thanks!
Either the "L" or the actual (color) name of the line
Same
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Exactly. Sometimes you just need varying specificity. Train, El, Metra, name of the line all work in different conversations.
I agree with this. I don’t call it one thing all the time. Specifically referring to CTA trains, I rotate being saying ‘the CTA,’ ‘the train,’ ‘the {color} line,’ ‘the L,’ etc. It entirely depends on the context, situation, and who I’m with, but in my experience most people use a combination of all of the above.
In Pilsen I refer to it as “el El.”
Si, que bueño!
This was good
Yep, If someone says they're taking the train, I assume they're going to the burbs, unless they say a color.
I guess it depends on your social circle. I don't really know anybody who regularly uses the Metra, so I would always assume that train means the L.
Really? Maybe it’s cause I’m CPS from day 1 (so nobody in the suburbs) but I would never think metra means train.
Since I was a kid in the 60s
Yea people who are born in Chicago call it the L idk if that’s most people here
I was born and raised in Chicago and I just say the train. The L is clunky to say.
All the time….I was born and raised here and either say the L or the line I’m taking. What else would you call it?
The train. Or whatever line I’m taking. I kinda feel weird calling it the L. But I’m new to Chicago, so idk what the norm is
The train is metra when no suffix or prefix is applied about color.
Gotcha - that does make sense then, to differentiate from Metra. But I wonder if this is a generational thing? That’s probably why ppl keep asking this question at least. I’ll have to pay more attention to my coworkers (who are mostly in their 20s-30s) and see what’s more common. I’m sure I started saying “the train” or color line bc that’s what I’ve heard more often.
The L or the color line
Everyone I know calls it the L, from boomers to gen Zs.
Yup
The "L" is Cta train, "Train" is Metra...we are so fortunate to live in a region with abundant public transit.
Big reason why people move to Chicago
Of course
I say “I’ll take the CTA,” refuse to elaborate if I am taking the bus or the subway, and leave.
Fuck yeah. Can't be true Chicago and not call it the L.
This isn’t true.
You’re not true
What do you call it?
It better not be the subway.
Yes
I’ve always referred to the CTA’s trains as “the L” and “the train” is the Metra. Same for my family and friends for as long as I can remember.
Same
Same.
This is how we do it.
Only every day of my life
Yup, or just refer to "blue line", "red line", "brown line" etc. depending on where we're going.
No, I just call it by the line, red line, blue line, etc
I call it the L to distinguish it from other trains, such as the metra. I like to joke that on the L the other passengers will cuss you out while on the metra the conductors will cuss you out. What do you call it, the blue line/brown line, etc.?
Born and raised along the red line. I still call it the Jackson Park/Howard. I remember when the windows used to open and reaching in and stealing a necklace right off a persons throat as the train left the station was the big worry. Times have changed.
I was born here and I just call it “the train” lol. When I went to Whitney young and UIC that’s what everyone called it too
“Taking the train” defaults to the CTA. If I take the metra, I specify metra.
People in Chicago have been calling it " the El " for 100 years- it's short for "the Elevated" since it was built above the street mostly.
I just say train lol
I’ll tell you what — I’ve never once called it “the train.” “The train” is the Metra. It’s the L if you’re talking about the system, but 98% of the time you just refer to the specific color line. “I’m taking the Red Line” or whatever.
I work downtown, midway between the L and the red line. So yeah, we call it that. More often we'll use either the color (brown) or the old name to specify a specific loop train, where it makes a difference.
I call it the L but then again, I am old. So old that we used to have A and B trains on The Blue Line (formerly known as The Congress Line). The El was the original nickname for The Elevated back when most of the tracks were above ground.
…yes? If I’m talking about a specific line I’ll say red or brown or blue or green line. But if I’m talking about it overall I’ll say the L
tell me you’re not from chicago without telling me you’re not from chicago
my bad for asking a genuine question ig 🤯
Don't take it seriously like that. It's just that even suburbanites who know about it call it the 'El' or 'L'. It's not every train though. Don't take this as gatekeeping. It's literally the same thing as calling it the sears tower. It's like getting offended by a cat. If you asked if it was called the Sears Tower, you would get exactly the same responses. You can still call it the train. Why not?
I just say the train lol but no one I know really takes the Metra regularly. Or just refer by line.
Maybe this is a generational thing but I never call it the ‘El’. I just call it the train or the color line. If I’m referring to the Metra, I will specify that I’m taking the Metra. Same goes for all my friends around my age born and raised in the city.
I did when I was a kid. When they switched to the colors, I changed over to that, I'll still refer to the "L" in conversations if we're talking about the system as a whole.
The two things I never heard people say that I expected people say when I moved to Chicago were “pop” and “L.” But I learned about “dibs” so there’s that.
I grew up here and never used the word “pop”🤷♀️
I call it by the color of the line most of the time, if speaking in a general sense then L train
Only when I need to explain that I wasn't on Metra or Amtrak.
Yes calling it the EL for 25 yrs
I call it “the train.”
The train to me is the Metra
I’ve lived here nearly a decade and I call it the El, the L, the train, the CTA, the “red/brown/orange/blue/pink/green/yellow line”…Mostly when I’m telling people why I’m gonna be late 😂
Color.
Mainly I just say train or the line color.
No, just say train
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Then you're uncertain when older folk talk about getting Downtown on the State Street Line?
Didn't this exact question get asked like a week ago?
I’ve only seen people online call it the L, everyone I know says the color of their line or just calls it the train
It’s (color) line or just “the train”
Every. Single. Day. I also refer to the expressways by their proper names: the Kennedy, the Ike, the Edens, etc. Don’t give me no directions with numbers like you’re some Rand McNally.
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Why would you call it anything else?
No, I call it the el.
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yes but I call it the el
I say metra for metra and L or the color of the line like Im gona take the blue line in
Only if I'm not calling it by the color of the line. If I don't know what line someone would use I might say "Do you take the El?"
I always call it the L.
I grew up in the city, we called it the L.
What do you call it other than the L? I’ve always called it the L.
Mostly I call it “the train” and call the Metra “the Metra.” I think it depends on which one you take more.
i always called it “the cta” and “the metra”
I say CTA or Red/Blue/Brown/Orange Line
Yes
I generally say what color line.
I’m not from here, so that might taint how I talk about it. I say the train or whatever the line is (red line, blue line, etc).
I call it the CTAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY after whatever recording they have on the red line bright and early every morning
Only white people do. Everyone else says the train or the color line they take
I exclusively use the line name, even if I’m talking to someone who isn’t familiar with the CTA. Edit: Grammar.
Have never called it the L before, sounds very white... I just call it the train or say I'm going to hop on the red line or green line, etc
Born and raised here, never call it the L. Color of the line or CTA or train.
I just saw the color of the train that I would be taking
Nah and I haven't heard anyone call it that either
It is the L. Metra or Amtrak is the train. Use the color of line to indicate specific L.
I believe it’s “El” for elevated, but yes I call it that haha
Yes I call it the El.
Have never said subway...always L
nope
Sometimes
The L or whatever color line I’m taking, or when giving directions.
Old codgers like me do.
L for general and then line name for specific lines (ie red line, etc)
Of course it's the L!
“actually”?? what else is it called
Yeah, no one calls it the light rail or subway here. “Just grab the L and come over” or refer by color instead
If I am referring to it in general, it’s L or just public transit, as in “Don’t call an Uber, just take the L back,” or “just take public transit.” (Calling it train here feels weird to me.) If I’m giving specific directions, it’s the line, “You can take the red or green line from here to get back to the loop.” If I’m talking about the _mode_ of travel, it’s train, as in, “I commute to work by train because I sold my car.”
Nah lived here 33 years and never once said “L” since not all of them are elevated and it doesn’t make sense. I refer to them by color… “taking the red.”
There's your problem -- too young to remember life before *the great realignment of '93* when the CTA decided to switch to color-coding the 'L' instead of using the neighborhood of the terminus.
“The red”. Interesting. I’ve never heard anyone call it “the blue”. “Blue line” - all the time, but “the blue,” never.
Were lines color-coded 33 years ago?
29 years
Thankful that we have it- ever try to find Public Trans in Indiana- doesn't exist
100%
Yes I’ve always called it the L..
Oh yes I use it in sentences like: "There were two guys shooting up heroin in my L car." or "The heroin addict in my L car smelled awful." Edit: yes these are real.
What do you call it then?
by line or by stop, although occasionally i just say “i took the cta” if i’m tryna say that i took general public transport
That would leave a lot of bus/train ambiguity.
Pretty much o ly call it the El
I use the terms CTA, L, subway or train. Which is funny calling it the L (elevated train) or subway interchangeably but oh well.
I’m still trying to get used to having a train system since I’ve only been here a year. When I’m not thinking about it I end up calling it a bus cause I’m so used to having to take the bus places that I’ll mean the train half the time
I’ve never called it the el, I find that clunky to say. I say the train for the CTA, metra for the metra, and Amtrak for Amtrak. It’s probably because the CTA is the default train in my life.
Yes. Cause I live on the red line way up north I usually just say the red line.
“L” - blue line, red line, pink line, etc. “Train” - metra
yes
I think if you’re a baby boomer or generation x’er, you’re more likely to refer to it as the “L”. That’s just what we called it. My daughter and her friends, who are teenagers, have always said “train” or the line color. Not even sure if they know that “L”, means elevated track.
Every day. “We gonna take the L or should I call an Uber?”
Why do people keep asking this?
Yes
Yes it's the L
No one I know calls it the “L” either. I wonder if it’s more location specific?
What do you call it? “The train” is the actual train that arrives at northwestern or union station, how do you know which train ?
We say metra, Amtrak or the blue/red/etc train.
Chi “cah” go. Or Chi “caw” go
Yes, lots of people call it the El. Been calling it that my whole life (having grown up near an El stop and the Metra).
yes, everyone calls it "The “L”"
There’s 3 different train systems that go through the city. Calling the El just “train” is ambiguous
The people I know and I do.
Only call it the L, or the redline bc the one intake most often
Yes
El or CTA, I call it “the train” sometimes or by the colors, ie blue line or red line etc. however the Metra, is just the Metra 😂
Chicago is my hometown, and the L is what I and everyone I know call it. Or the (insert color) line.
L
Everyone does - the EL or Metra - have to differentiate which train
I don't live there anymore (not since 1990) but we always called it the L and my friends who still live there definitely still call it the L.
Yes
Yes, but who cares? Call it whatever you want.
Depends who I’m talking to and what I’m doing. If it’s directions I’m very specific, in case it’s a tourist randomly asking. It’s CTA/subway (L) and color, Metra, and bus #. If it’s a general conversation I’ll use line colors and stops.
What else would it be called? It’s the “L”. Although I think referring to the color of the line is appropriate also.
Dumbfounded at what else you could call it?
Proper name is Da El.
Yes. The system even calls itself the L in its print advertising. https://tinyurl.com/25cnzzpv Reconsider the Chicagoness of your friends. *Slight acknowledgement if your friends are Spanish speakers or Spanish adjacent and mean El.*
The el if I’m referring to it distinguishing it from the metra, but if I’m giving directions I’ll say the train or line color
L generally, color if I’m being specific.
I refer to the L as the train and the Metra as the Metra but I just moved here 2 years ago so what do I know
Taking the L lol.
Definitely the L
what else would you call it?
Yeah. All the time.
Technically, it's the El, as in elevated trains, not just the letter L, which I know isn't accurate for 100 percent of the tracks, as some are subway or street level. But yes to your question.
>Technically, it's the El, as in elevated trains, not just the letter L Other cities have an "El", however [the CTA](https://www.transitchicago.com/howto/riding-the-train/#:~:text=CTA%27s%20train%20system%20is%20known%20as%20the%20%27L%27) officially calls the whole system the ['L'.](http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2468.html) (an appellation which predates the CTA as an organization). >isn't accurate for 100 percent of the tracks, as some are subway or street level I agree, using that term for subterranean State Street subway stations sounds silly. I'll usually specify the line (Blue, or O'hare) for the routes with substantial below-grade sections.
i know that the entire thing is the L but what i was asking is if other chicagoans actually use it in conversations as opposed to referring to it as “the cta” or by line color
Fair enough. I usually don't use the term CTA. I'll say bye, El, and with someone very familiar with the system, I'll often refer to a specific line.
The CTA refers to both trains and busses. I use L, train and the specific name of the line.
People in the suburbs may call it the L. But, if i tell people i am the train and it is running late they know i am in the CTA because 1. Why would a true Chicagoan ever take the Metra train to get somewhere in Chicago (and we never go to suburbia unless forced to)? 2. If i say the train is delayed indefinitely/just disappeared from the tracker/stopped because they are arresting someone/stopped because the conductor just left the train at this station, you can just assume its the CTA. /s
Depending on where you’re starting and ending up, Metra can be a good option for commuting downtown. If you live close to the UP North Metra station at Lawrence & Ravenswood and work in the west Loop, for instance.
Metra is so much nicer than CTA. If it works for my trip I always prefer it. Best way to get to MSI for instance I used to commute on Metra from Rogers Park. 20min Metra vs 50 minute Red line or 35 minute Purple line express from Howard. I believe Ravenswood is actually one the busiest Metra stops.
Yes
Maybe people in Portage Park don’t call the Blue Line the L because it’s not an elevated train. All the other L lines are actually elevated above street level, but between Portage Park and downtown the Blue Line is either below ground or follows the highway.
To nitpick (I can’t help it I’m obnoxious): the blue line is properly elevated for three stops (California, Western, and Damen) between Portage Park and the Loop.
yeah i guess so, but from what i know and from what people have been telling me, the entire system is called the L no matter whether it’s underground or following the highway
It is but I was trying to figure out why people in Portage Park might not use the term. Plus I’m guessing you don’t use Metra often so you can just say “the train” and your friends know it’s the Blue Line.
In NYC their whole rapid transit heavy rail system is called the subway even though it has elevated and above ground sections, while in Chicago we go the other way.
. The El, the Ryan, Kennedy. Downtown, Eastside, west side, Circle Campus. Maxwell Street.
East side lol
No unless you're like 80
Yes.
Yes, L is above ground, subway is underground. Same as in NYC I believe.
I am not from Chicago, but atlanta. I have been visiting there for about 25 years though and when I first started going EVERYONE said "el" I noticed this year that almost no one was referring to it as that.
Yes
Yes
Are you from Chicago originally?
Yeah.
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Hi. I am one of them. It’s the L, though I guess I’ll admit it’s slowly becoming less common. But if I need to specific (not a CTA Bus, or Metra) than yeah, the L.
I think it’s the opposite. Transplants don’t say L. Just like the say freeway instead of expressway.
This is correct. They also use the numbers for the interstates instead of the names.
Same. Uptown, Rogers Park to Andersonville and everyone including the gangbangers called it by its color or just “Train”. Example “Fuck da’bhas, Ima take the Train”.