subway conductors

does the chicago l have subway conductors that help the motormen as well and what are they called in that city ?

R10: At one time the CTA did have 2-person crews. My uncle was a CTA motorman fron 1958 to 1986 and I recall it well. I think only the Skokie Swift was run with a single person. In the 90s with the debut of the 3200 series cars,OPTO was introduced and eventually spread to all trains on all lines. Perhaps someone in the know can give the exact time frame in the 90s when the CTA went OPTO. MACTRAXX

CTA "motormen" are now called rapid transit operators (RTO's). Conductors were phased out throughout the '90s, with the last of them working rush hour trains in the Red and Blue line subways in, if I recall correctly, 1999.

The shift to one person RTO's started in earnest when the Orange line opened for business in 1993. Within two years, the Brown line was assimilated into the procedure, then the newly rebuilt Green line followed suit as well when it re-opened in 1996 after a two year shutdown. The Red, Blue, and Purple (Evanston) Express lines were the last holdouts, and in Chicago transit history, the date of November 8, 1997 is the final day that traditional conductors were used on CTA. As Mike indicates, 1999 was indeed the last year that "subway only" conductors were used on the Red and Blue lines, although I don't remember the exact date that practice ended...