The CTA’s Holiday Train returns to town on Black Friday, the agency announced in a news release Monday.

The decked-out holiday train, a CTA tradition for more than three decades, will make appearances on all of the agency’s rail lines beginning Nov. 28. It will launch that day from the Midway Orange Line station.

The CTA’s holiday bus will travel on 19 of the CTA’s bus routes this season, with its run lasting Nov. 25 through Dec. 20.

Passengers on certain holiday fleet runs will have the opportunity to take photos with Santa. The holiday fleet schedule — along with details regarding Santa’s availability — are listed on the CTA’s website.

When the holiday vehicles are in service, prospective riders can track their whereabouts live online. The CTA’s online train tracker will indicate the holiday train’s whereabouts via a candy cane icon, the agency said. Passengers must pay regular CTA fares — $2.25 for the bus and $2.50 for the train. The CTA’s holiday fleet is sponsored by Allstate.

Also Monday, tickets for Metra’s holiday trains were set to go on sale at noon. Metra will run holiday trains on the Metra Electric, BNSF, Milwaukee District West, Rock Island and Union Pacific Northwest lines this year, with dates for each run listed online. Tickets cost $10 and must be purchased in advance, the commuter rail agency said.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/17/cta-holiday-train-black-friday/