Chicago Rail Rebuild Opens Multi-Year Design Work
Engineering and construction firms serving Chicago transit can pursue a multi-year pipeline of Blue Line track work.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Remote Work
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The Chicago Transit Authority's board awarded AECOM Technical Services a $17 million contract to design track work on a 13-mile segment of the Blue Line, the next phase of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild. For operators in the region's construction and engineering supply chain, the award signals a multi-year pipeline of design and rebuild work on the Chicago rail corridor.
Why it matters
More than 80% of the Forest Park Branch is a slow zone where trains must run at drastically reduced speeds for safety, which is the core reason the rebuild is being pursued now. Federal Highway Administration Carbon Reduction Grant Program funding of $15.8 million helps finance the work, tying the project to federal climate-related grant money.
The $17 million AECOM design award covers a 13-mile segment between the Illinois Medical District station and the Interstate-290 Bridge, with $15.8 million in federal Carbon Reduction Grant funding behind it. Local firms DB Sterling Consultants, Facet Engineering and GSG Consultants together account for more than 15% of the contract work.
The players
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Chicago's public transit operator, running the city's rail and bus network and overseeing capital rebuilds of its rail lines.
AECOM Technical Services
A global infrastructure engineering and consulting firm that designs transportation, water and public works projects for government clients.
The details
The contract scope covers a field investigation of the entire corridor and design for new and upgraded track, signals, traction power, drainage, utilities and other facilities within the CTA right-of-way. It also includes a review of drainage elements along the Interstate-290 expressway shoulders. The award is part of a multi-year, multi-phased program to reconstruct the entire Forest Park Branch of the Blue Line, following a first phase completed in 2023.
Timeline
2023: First phase of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild completed.
2026: CTA board awards the track design contract to AECOM Technical Services.
2027: Construction on a third segment scheduled to start.
Market Landscape
The award follows the CTA's multi-year, multi-phased rebuild of the Forest Park Branch, with the first phase completed in 2023 and the third segment set to begin in 2027. Federal Carbon Reduction Grant Program money is part of the funding mix, linking the project to a federal transportation program aimed at cutting emissions.
Engineering and construction firms in the Chicago area should watch for subcontracting and partnering opportunities tied to the multi-year Forest Park Branch program. Procurement and business development teams should track the timing of the 2027 construction phase when planning capacity.
The takeaway
Multi-year public infrastructure programs like this one create sustained pipeline opportunities, so operators should track CTA capital procurement notices for later phases. Businesses that want to pursue related work should monitor the 2027 construction timeline and consider partnering arrangements similar to the local firms already on this contract.
What happens next
Construction on the third segment of the Forest Park Branch Rebuild is scheduled to begin in 2027.
Further reading
For context on how transit and infrastructure contracting connects to broader workforce trends, explore our Remote Work coverage.
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