As a native New Yorker who has rode every line on the MTA system, I can honestly say that those are some of the cleanest stations and tunnels I have ever seen 😂😂😂
Hahaha.😄😄 You're so right with that statement! I definitely haven't ridden every line like you have(I've only been on the LIRR) but I've seen plenty of stations along the way that don't come close to these.
Hell nah new York must be wild then 💀 Because CTA stations always smell like weed or piss and are covered with trash and tons of fucked up shit happens at them especially on the green and red line
What a beautiful ride on the blue line, with the sun rising. The early hours are always the best. CTA thank you for this wonderful video. Kind regards from the Netherlands.👍
Early morning Blue Line commute? I love it. Especially at how you can see the sunrise from the cab’s point of view. And….Hope you’re not late for your flight, at the end of this journey.
Ehhh, when a train comes every ten minutes, you'll start to get used to it. you wouldn't have to worry about missing your flight. Unless it DOES get delayed, and adds 20 extra minutes to it. The delays aren't usually super bad though.
Why does it go so slow in certain sections for seemingly no reason? Is it because of signal clearance or speed limits due to track design? Update: Those parts of the line are slow zones due to poor track conditions. Around 70% of the section from Forest Park to the subway portion is part of a slow zone.
And when the train is rolling along the Kennedy and you see all the stopped traffic, for me it was often faster than driving when I came into town for meetings!
Used to commute from California to Monroe and back every day! Love the blue line especially the above ground portion between Division and Logan Square.
...I remember riding this when it was the old Milwaukee Ave. line and still terminated at Logan Square riding the old 200s. I also remember coming in on the Kennedy expressway in the late 60s and seeing signs that touted "Coming Up The Middle" for the extension to Jefferson Park. I also remember back then Greyhound had a stop at Cumberland Ave on their route from Milwaukee WI that connected with a Continental Air Transport shuttle to/from O'hare.. The "stop" was at a petrol station (little of that area was built up back then) which was a great place back in the day for plane spotting. Lived north in Milwaukee WI at the time, but made many trips to Chicago by rail (including the Old North Shore) and bus..
I remember the Logan Square elevated terminal, and the diners underneath (pre-McDonalds/BurgerKing), when a hotdog w fries and coke, would cost you fifty cents. My CTA fare as a kid was twelve cents, and my dad paid a quarter. I grew up, but my purchasing power shrunk.
I used to ride the CTA Blue line from Rosemomt to Jackson and then transfer to the Red line from Jackson to Addison in order to go see the Cubs play at Wrigley. I was about 12-14 years old at that time. Rosemont is known for Allstate Arena aka the Chicago Wolves den. Plus it also has a few popular sites. I’ve never took the Blue line to the O’Hare station but after looking at it I was like oh it’s in the basement.
The Congress branch of the Blue Line needs track reconstruction like the track reconstruction they did on the Red Line’s Dan Ryan branch in 2013, that way trains can run through the branch a-lot quicker then 28 minutes and also the Blue Line can accommodate to newer railcar fleets without taking even longer to clear the branch due to car weight.
The CTA for the most part are the only trains I've ever ridden in my life. I remember taking the the Long Island railroad m train from West Hempstead Long Island to downtown New York around 1971. I've been to New York City twice since then and took a train from the Newark New Jersey train station to downtown New York City. And that is it for my train experience so far in life I'm 63 I like trains you can get places fast assuming you don't have to stop every 2 minutes like a streetcar does for traffic
9:50 Short Tunnel. 28:40 The The Subway Best Part. Just Like Marta In Atlanta. 49:30 The Second Short Subway Best Part. 57:08 Short Tunnel. 58:52 Short Tunnel. 1:09:57 Short Tunnel. 1:14:55 Tunnel That Goes To The Airport.
@Albert Carello There is no reason for it really, since the Loop Elevated structure works so well, there is no reason to put the Green Line Underground
24:41 With the Blue Line's predecessor, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated, this used to be where their branch lines all converged at Marshfield Junction, which would be right over the eastbound track.
CTA to random photographers: "You can't photograph the trains or the train system! It's all confidential!!" Also CTA: Puts cameras on trains and films entire CTA train system, and posts it on TH-cam for the world to see.
Great. Love that there's a station called 'Chicago'. Notice that there are two stations called Western - on the same line. Here in the UK we can't have two stations with the same name in the whole country!
The stations take their name from the nearest intersecting street or sometimes an institution (University or hospital or college). "Chicago" is named for W. Chicago Avenue on the Blue Line. The duplicate station names results from the looping nature of some of the CTA's lines. They cross the same main avenues at different points either north or south or east or west.
I hope the CTA has plans on repairing the Blue Line as the rails are severely worn out. Look at all the trash on the tracks! CTA, you can do better than this!
@ Yes, it once once known as the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal. I know they take cars to the Ferrera Pan Candy plant in Forest park (Harlem Avenue) The tracks are in good shape and the rails are well- burnished, so I assume they must have a decent amount of business?
I'm oddly fascinated by the abandoned stops. It's kind of like a monument to a bygone era. The last time anybody stood on those platforms waiting for a train, Dick Daley was mayor and Dick Nixon was president.
44:44 The exact point at which the Humboldt Park Branch merged here 70 years ago. Had the branch never been abandoned, I get the feeling that it and the Douglas Branch would've been through-routed as a service with a separate identity from the Blue Line. That or plans to extend the Paulina Connector up to connect with the Ravenswood Branch would've been realized.
@@keyshawnscott12 Even "real" money is getting rare. When I went to the self-checkout at my local Jewels, the machines wouldn't accept cash anymore. And I have pails full of coins at home, that no one wants.
That tower at 44:00, at the Damen station, what that the tower for where the Humboldt park branch split from the Logan Square branch of the old Metropolitan West Side Elevated?
It was built as part of the Dearborn Subway project for the old Humboldt Park branch but never used. As the project neared completion the line was canceled so was never placed in service.
>Blue Line stops at Addison So what if it's not even 7 AM in this video? It gives me time to enjoy the friendliness and small-town vibes of Wrigleyville! Every big city needs a neighborhood where you find a friendly, small-town atmosphere like you guys do in the Wrigleyville area.
Why are there people wearing masks in 2019 ?? Great picture quality and sound. Glad I don't have to commute with that sun in my eyes..Love the new 7000 series trains and how the hydrolics lower the train to platform level for wheelchairs to get on and off trains. I miss Chicago and riding the CTA ..(Red line)
Illinois Medical Center stop is nearby, so in the pre-pandemic times, medical professionals would routinely wear masks even on their way to work or getting off work.
Can the extra space in the median of the Eisenhower be used to build an extra pair of tracks for a Downtown-West Side express? There are already extra tunnels partially built east of the UIC-Halsted stop, why not use them? Would anyone ride this express?
Chicago depending on where you go is a very family friendly town. It's got something called The science and industry museum has to be one of the best children's museums anywhere. The Linkin Park zoo is free. Free admission. They have organized crime there. They have organized crime in any City . They are always talking about drive-by shootings in Cincinnati and even in Covington Newport Kentucky across the river the same as a mafia hit.
Somebody already commented this so you might've seen already, but that was built for a proposed connection to the Lake Street Elevated (the Green and Pink lines) that never came to be, so now there are just those tunnel stubs near Clark/Lake off of both tracks.
A lot of L lines roughly follow major arterials or highways, and the stops are named for the cross streets. Since Chicago is a grid, streets intersect multiple L lines, so you have multiple stops with the same name.
Jamal Abd Rabbih But for someone who doesn’t know Chicago like me for example this could be very confusing. I mean they could change some stations names for something more unique. (Example naming after a neighbored street or something you know, to avoid confusion)
In practice it's not that bad, since you can always use the line to disambiguate: I'll meet you at the California blue line stop vs the California pink line stop, for example. The one thing that I agree they should really change are the handful of stops on the blue line itself that have the same name - there are two blue line Harlem stops and I think a couple of other duplicates
Except I think Abandoned California/Congress Station needs to come back due to the Neighborhood is reviving and Kedzie/ Homan Station isn't very safe area compared to Red Line 79th ST.
qece tu fais dehor le metro hihi et je suis les deux dehor et au tunnel du metro montreal biento on na parlais mais en tramway voila la réponce au usa yesss
Doesn't seem normal that the line runs so slow in the beginning there. That's no way to compete with cars! Edit: Not just the beginning. So much straight track that doesn't seem best taken advantage of. Especially with railcars that are supposedly designed for 70 MPH.
Slow zones, track conditions or other factors, such as the beep sound in the video. A lot of factors. Plus CTA rail only is allowed to go 55mph when cab signals allow it
As a native New Yorker who has rode every line on the MTA system, I can honestly say that those are some of the cleanest stations and tunnels I have ever seen 😂😂😂
Hahaha.😄😄 You're so right with that statement! I definitely haven't ridden every line like you have(I've only been on the LIRR) but I've seen plenty of stations along the way that don't come close to these.
Thanks, Guys. We're still moving over here. 😄
Thanks! They are surprisingly tidy. Smelly though
They are clean but some of them smell terrible. The blue lines not terrible the
Hell nah new York must be wild then 💀 Because CTA stations always smell like weed or piss and are covered with trash and tons of fucked up shit happens at them especially on the green and red line
Fun fact: if you turn on the captions for this video it shows fun facts about the blue line
i only wish the info was larger and stayed on screen longer . i had to stop this a few times just read them
@@101southsideboydidn't work for me
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful ride on the blue line, with the sun rising. The early hours are always the best. CTA thank you for this wonderful video. Kind regards from the Netherlands.👍
Early morning Blue Line commute? I love it. Especially at how you can see the sunrise from the cab’s point of view. And….Hope you’re not late for your flight, at the end of this journey.
Ehhh, when a train comes every ten minutes, you'll start to get used to it. you wouldn't have to worry about missing your flight. Unless it DOES get delayed, and adds 20 extra minutes to it. The delays aren't usually super bad though.
These are AMAZING videos , a HUGE THANKS to all the people involved , thank you for making us rail lovers feel really happy.
Why does it go so slow in certain sections for seemingly no reason? Is it because of signal clearance or speed limits due to track design?
Update: Those parts of the line are slow zones due to poor track conditions. Around 70% of the section from Forest Park to the subway portion is part of a slow zone.
Took this train to O'Hare, it was so easy!
And when the train is rolling along the Kennedy and you see all the stopped traffic, for me it was often faster than driving when I came into town for meetings!
Used to commute from California to Monroe and back every day! Love the blue line especially the above ground portion between Division and Logan Square.
I love to see the CTA's Blue Line in the middle of the Kennedy Expressway and those reversible express lanes.
...I remember riding this when it was the old Milwaukee Ave. line and still terminated at Logan Square riding the old 200s. I also remember coming in on the Kennedy expressway in the late 60s and seeing signs that touted "Coming Up The Middle" for the extension to Jefferson Park.
I also remember back then Greyhound had a stop at Cumberland Ave on their route from Milwaukee WI that connected with a Continental Air Transport shuttle to/from O'hare.. The "stop" was at a petrol station (little of that area was built up back then) which was a great place back in the day for plane spotting.
Lived north in Milwaukee WI at the time, but made many trips to Chicago by rail (including the Old North Shore) and bus..
I remember the Logan Square elevated terminal, and the diners underneath (pre-McDonalds/BurgerKing), when a hotdog w fries and coke, would cost you fifty cents. My CTA fare as a kid was twelve cents, and my dad paid a quarter. I grew up, but my purchasing power shrunk.
I used to ride the CTA Blue line from Rosemomt to Jackson and then transfer to the Red line from Jackson to Addison in order to go see the Cubs play at Wrigley. I was about 12-14 years old at that time.
Rosemont is known for Allstate Arena aka the Chicago Wolves den. Plus it also has a few popular sites. I’ve never took the Blue line to the O’Hare station but after looking at it I was like oh it’s in the basement.
Heyy!! Go cubbies!
NYCT needs to do the same.... these videos are really good, and whoever thought of the idea, much respect to you!!!!!!
That was a fun one! Thanks, CTA!
Loving these videos I'm from the UK
8:40 My favorite part where you can just see the Chicago's skyline up ahead on the freeway.
Adding sunrise to the mix, makes it even better, although a little bright.
The Congress branch of the Blue Line needs track reconstruction like the track reconstruction they did on the Red Line’s Dan Ryan branch in 2013, that way trains can run through the branch a-lot quicker then 28 minutes and also the Blue Line can accommodate to newer railcar fleets without taking even longer to clear the branch due to car weight.
3200 series…..I can tell by the door control lever sounds and when the operator powers up the master controller and the hum of the HVAC
railfan ☝🤓
9:00 13:41 19:24 abandoned Central kostner and California Congress branch stations
The CTA for the most part are the only trains I've ever ridden in my life. I remember taking the the Long Island railroad m train from West Hempstead Long Island to downtown New York around 1971. I've been to New York City twice since then and took a train from the Newark New Jersey train station to downtown New York City. And that is it for my train experience so far in life I'm 63 I like trains you can get places fast assuming you don't have to stop every 2 minutes like a streetcar does for traffic
9:50 Short Tunnel.
28:40 The The Subway Best Part. Just Like Marta In Atlanta.
49:30 The Second Short Subway Best Part.
57:08 Short Tunnel.
58:52 Short Tunnel.
1:09:57 Short Tunnel.
1:14:55 Tunnel That Goes To The Airport.
@TJKING2124🏁 I’ve Inly Ridden The Marta In Atlanta.
I am posting WAY too much, but the tunnel portal at 37.30 was for a proposed connection to the Lake Street (Green Line) which never happened
@Albert Carello There is no reason for it really, since the Loop Elevated structure works so well, there is no reason to put the Green Line Underground
@Albert Carello OK :)
Great vid, CTA, thanks so much!
24:41 With the Blue Line's predecessor, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated, this used to be where their branch lines all converged at Marshfield Junction, which would be right over the eastbound track.
I like this ride.
Great video! I'm curious about why the Jackson station was upgraded (wall cladding, etc) but not Monroe and Washington.
This Route is Super Long wow I'm surprised
Love this, the old clips were my favourites, thanks for the updates
CTA to random photographers: "You can't photograph the trains or the train system! It's all confidential!!"
Also CTA: Puts cameras on trains and films entire CTA train system, and posts it on TH-cam for the world to see.
Great. Love that there's a station called 'Chicago'. Notice that there are two stations called Western - on the same line. Here in the UK we can't have two stations with the same name in the whole country!
The stations take their name from the nearest intersecting street or sometimes an institution (University or hospital or college). "Chicago" is named for W. Chicago Avenue on the Blue Line. The duplicate station names results from the looping nature of some of the CTA's lines. They cross the same main avenues at different points either north or south or east or west.
also there 2 'harlem' stations on the line
Wait until you hear about. Cicero. 4 Different Stations named Cicero, same with Harlem
The UK has the tube in London, he doesn't know about our transit arrangements. Can't blame him, though. There is less violent platforms over there.
@@Minelaughter lol I imagine people definitely specify lines whenever they mention this station name.
Is Midway also served by CTA? (I ask because my only trip to Ch9ocago was via Midway.)
Orange Line goes from Midway through Downtown and back to Midway.
Washington should have a Blue 🪧 & Clark/Lake Should have a Black 🪧 cause Washington doesn’t have a direct transfer while Clark/Lake does
Rode the blue line many times to the city and back
I hope the CTA has plans on repairing the Blue Line as the rails are severely worn out. Look at all the trash on the tracks! CTA, you can do better than this!
They are currently rebuilding the Forest Park branch.
BTW, for those of you who do not know, those tracks to the right are CSX (Former B & OCT)
@ Yes, it once once known as the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal. I know they take cars to the Ferrera Pan Candy plant in Forest park (Harlem Avenue) The tracks are in good shape and the rails are well- burnished, so I assume they must have a decent amount of business?
I'm oddly fascinated by the abandoned stops. It's kind of like a monument to a bygone era. The last time anybody stood on those platforms waiting for a train, Dick Daley was mayor and Dick Nixon was president.
I'm from Cincinnati Ohio. When my family and I want to get out of town to go to a big city we went to Chicago a lot. I remember taking my wife here.
44:44 The exact point at which the Humboldt Park Branch merged here 70 years ago.
Had the branch never been abandoned, I get the feeling that it and the Douglas Branch would've been through-routed as a service with a separate identity from the Blue Line. That or plans to extend the Paulina Connector up to connect with the Ravenswood Branch would've been realized.
Thanks for adding these wonderful detail points.
I have to do this "Route 49, Western to Berwyn, Western, Transfer to...O'Hare Blue Line."
13:41 What works against Kostner Avenue ever reopening is how close it is to Pulaski Road, plus the curve.
@Steven Wade I would tend to agree, but why did they close the Keeler Avenue and Lavergne Ave entrances on the Pulaski and Cicero Stations?
Kostner reopening? Chances of that are the same as CTA returning to 25 cent adult fares. Still got a drawer full of tokens.
@@michaelbrinkers1145 lol and I bet those tokens are worth some money now days
@@keyshawnscott12 Even "real" money is getting rare. When I went to the self-checkout at my local Jewels, the machines wouldn't accept cash anymore. And I have pails full of coins at home, that no one wants.
@@michaelbrinkers1145 very true lol
the CTA was the right sound quality that the uk during various times did the freeway in terms of evening to night in general
The station signs tell you what "hundred" the station is located at, so that (To me) helps alleviate the confusion
It's all about the blocks east/west of State Street and north/south of Madison Street.
Luv in it! CHICAGO!
CTA, what camera settings did you use for these videos as they are excellent quality, 4K but what shutter speeds etc
Anyone else here think that the OG Logan Square station should’ve stayed open?
Wow. Jackson, Monroe, and Washington have short stops? Wow. XD @32:31.
43:20 Just the slightest reminder that this used to be Evergreen Junction.
Karen Page do we know why for the first half of video thus train was going SOOOO slowly
@@rohanujoodhaful Probably due to track conditions
I think this is the only CTA "L" Line that runs 24/7/365
Both Blue and Red lines run 24/7.
26:28 hey look it’s the IGOR tour 🤩
Nice nice nice 👌👌👌
Why did so many stations have the platform continue and never end ?
12:16 Saw it on the way to Chicago
3200's I assume for the train used for this video 👍🏽👍🏽.
I love 3200s, but I'm glad that 2600s are still in service.
Same the 3200 series is on brown and blue lines
That tower at 44:00, at the Damen station, what that the tower for where the Humboldt park branch split from the Logan Square branch of the old Metropolitan West Side Elevated?
It was built as part of the Dearborn Subway project for the old Humboldt Park branch but never used. As the project neared completion the line was canceled so was never placed in service.
>Blue Line stops at Addison
So what if it's not even 7 AM in this video? It gives me time to enjoy the friendliness and small-town vibes of Wrigleyville!
Every big city needs a neighborhood where you find a friendly, small-town atmosphere like you guys do in the Wrigleyville area.
Somebody should ask Metra to make videos like this
They do have videos like this, check out their TH-cam page.
They already do.
終点かっこいい駅ですねｗ
魔女の地下鉄は東京やシカゴの方がいいですか？
9:00
Did that used to be a station, or is it just an attempted troll by whoever was responsible for building that station like structure?
It's a closed station
Why are there people wearing masks in 2019 ?? Great picture quality and sound.
Glad I don't have to commute with that sun in my eyes..Love the new 7000 series trains and how the hydrolics lower the train to platform level for wheelchairs to get on and off trains.
I miss Chicago and riding the CTA ..(Red line)
Illinois Medical Center stop is nearby, so in the pre-pandemic times, medical professionals would routinely wear masks even on their way to work or getting off work.
My favorite Color with the CTA Train 🚆 Station.
How long does it take to get from Logan Square to Airport on the Blue Line?
tak for turen :-)
What's with the little blue light at the top of the stations? I've never noticed those at other stations on other lines.
Does the Blue Line still use 3200s? Today I rode the blue line and there were only 2600s.
Yeah, What time were you out there?
qwandiddy I made the original comment 1 month ago but it was probably around 4 in the evening
@@ralphp224 yes the 3200 cars are still on the blue line
Can the extra space in the median of the Eisenhower be used to build an extra pair of tracks for a Downtown-West Side express? There are already extra tunnels partially built east of the UIC-Halsted stop, why not use them? Would anyone ride this express?
How do I gt to aurora il from O'Hara?do I have to catcg metra out of chicag9?
Did anyone else ride the CTA in Chicago, or is it just me?
Lots have
Rode it many times. This line in particular.
Daily for almost 17 years...
Klasse Aufnahmen, da würde ich gerne mal mitfahren.
What can I say I like trains.
Wish I can work on the trains for CTA
Same
I wanna ride the cta so bad. And I don't even have anywhere to go
imagine the peoplpe on this platform of train stop when they see this
Do the 5000’s on the blue line next time
3200 series I can hear their distinctive HVAC
Nice Catch!
What railroad line sits next to the L at the beginning of the video? Also do Metra trains serve that line?
Yes the Union Pacific Northwest Line from Metra runs alongside the blue line for a while
25:11 Lomis Ramp. 28:37 whats the story about the two unused bores?
Play it with captions on.
i used to ride the blue line everyday lol
Chicago depending on where you go is a very family friendly town. It's got something called The science and industry museum has to be one of the best children's museums anywhere. The Linkin Park zoo is free. Free admission. They have organized crime there. They have organized crime in any City . They are always talking about drive-by shootings in Cincinnati and even in Covington Newport Kentucky across the river the same as a mafia hit.
37:27 Interesting. An incomplete or defunct turnout? o:
Somebody already commented this so you might've seen already, but that was built for a proposed connection to the Lake Street Elevated (the Green and Pink lines) that never came to be, so now there are just those tunnel stubs near Clark/Lake off of both tracks.
@@Mergatroid Thanks for the info!
How can you learn to operate train CTA
I heard Racine's getting some renovation done
Anyone else root for the people running to the train before the doors close?? I guess we’ll never know if they made it 😂
"DOH! S***!" - That One Person Ready for a Flight To Los Angeles missing his Blue Line
CTA, why do you have 2 stations with the same name on your line (western)
Same as Harlem
what is the station at 44:00
Yes
9.00 look abandoned station
This is Central station. It closed on September 2, 1973 due to low ridership.
Thanks for answer
@@CTAConnections I think it should be reopened? The neighborhood has improved since 1973?
@ I agree, they also need to re open the LaVergne Ave entrance to the Cicero Station. Things have changed a bunch since 1973!
Why did I comment this?
The seats are better on metra
Long open stretches of track but they go so slow. They could make the ride shorter if they would increase the speeds
the tracks in those regions can't handle higher speeds unfortunately
why do I watch this?
Something bothers me. Why some stations that aren’t changing line stations have the same name on other lines ? I mean it’s pretty confusing
A lot of L lines roughly follow major arterials or highways, and the stops are named for the cross streets. Since Chicago is a grid, streets intersect multiple L lines, so you have multiple stops with the same name.
Jamal Abd Rabbih But for someone who doesn’t know Chicago like me for example this could be very confusing. I mean they could change some stations names for something more unique. (Example naming after a neighbored street or something you know, to avoid confusion)
In practice it's not that bad, since you can always use the line to disambiguate: I'll meet you at the California blue line stop vs the California pink line stop, for example. The one thing that I agree they should really change are the handful of stops on the blue line itself that have the same name - there are two blue line Harlem stops and I think a couple of other duplicates
Jamal Abd Rabbih Western too
@@jamalabdr On the Blue Line, the Harlem stops should be renamed to Harlem/Kennedy and Harlem/Congress.
I can smell the weed in the train from this video
weed? that's pee
Blue Line Train 🚆 To the O'hare
The abandoned platforms on the blue line in Chicago Illinois needs to be torn down
Patty Beheler they might use them again in the future. Plus it would cost money to tear them down.
Why?
Except I think Abandoned California/Congress Station needs to come back due to the Neighborhood is reviving and Kedzie/ Homan Station isn't very safe area compared to Red Line 79th ST.
Makes you realize that a criminal can use the train to avoid detection after a crime. Easy peasy. Look at all the cars whizzing by!
The trains contain security cameras
1:08:09 J espère que ta réussi a prendre ton RER 🤣🤣🤣
i like for now is that 45 mph
qece tu fais dehor le metro hihi et je suis les deux dehor et au tunnel du metro montreal biento on na parlais mais en tramway voila la réponce au usa yesss
Doesn't seem normal that the line runs so slow in the beginning there. That's no way to compete with cars!
Edit: Not just the beginning. So much straight track that doesn't seem best taken advantage of. Especially with railcars that are supposedly designed for 70 MPH.
Slow zones, track conditions or other factors, such as the beep sound in the video. A lot of factors. Plus CTA rail only is allowed to go 55mph when cab signals allow it
37:29 SECRET DEAD END TUNNEL
45:33
Empty as those platforms are, this has to a weekend morning.