Funding for Red Line extension doubled in first year in 'game-changer' for Far South Side

The long-awaited Red Line extension will get a significant boost from the federal government with nearly $400 million more than expected in the project's first year.

The Red Line's makeover, the largest project in CTA history, will largely benefit the South Side, extending the train line 5.6 miles south from 95th Street, the line's current southern end, to 130th Street.

The federal government previously pledged $350 million to be allocated in 2025, the project's first year. An additional $396 million in federal funding has been earmarked for the project, bring the first year funding total to $746 million.

In all, the project is expected to cost $3.6 billion over several years with funding coming from the state, local transit tax increment financing funds, CTA bond funds and other sources.

“This is a game-changer for the South Side of Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release. “With this significant boost in funding, we are not just laying new tracks — we are laying the foundation for economic growth, job creation, and improved quality of life for tens of thousands of Chicagoans.”

The CTA began the engineering phase of developing the project last year after getting word it was likely to get nearly $2 billion in grant funding. The engineering phase will continue through the fall, and an official grant agreement is expected by the end of 2024.

The project will bring more accessible stations to the South Side, build a new rail yard to improve efficiency and connect Far South Siders to jobs, schools and the rest of the city. There's currently no CTA rail service south of 95th Street, but five commuter rails run daily.

“I thank the Biden-Harris administration, the Federal Transit Administration and the Illinois congressional delegation for their unwavering commitment to invest in new rail service on the Far South Side, which has been promised equitable transit access for decades," CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in the release.

Construction is expected to take years, with a planned opening in 2029.