CHICAGO — A 40-year-old man is in serious condition after being stabbed on a CTA Red Line train.

Police said the man was riding the train on the 1500 block of North Clybourn around 5:15 a.m. Thursday, when another man approached him and grabbed his belongings.

According to police, the offender then stabbed the 40-year-old in the stomach and thigh. The victim was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital in serious condition. The offender was located and placed into custody, police said. Charges are pending.

The stabbing incident occurred as city leaders await to hear from CTA president Dorval Carter.

“He has some serious questions to answer about the people’s safety,” said Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward).

Carter shared with alderpersons that he planned to address council members on Nov. 10. Lopez said the appearance before the council is long overdue.

“He’s missed several meetings where CTA has come before the City Council asking for money,” he said.

Lopez added that Dorval must answer questions and address the concerns raised by constituents over CTA safety. CTA responded to a message seeking comment, saying in part, that Dorval “looks forward to discussing the challenges facing the public transit industry, and the myriad steps CTA is taking to address them via “Meeting the Moment,” a multifaceted investment plan to strengthen the rider experience – more consistent and reliable service, safe rides, clean facilities, modern amenities, dynamic customer engagement tools, and a strong CTA workforce.”

Micah Fiedler is a member of Commuters Take Action, founded to hold CTA accountable for concerns like late trains and buses and rides that don’t show up. He told WGN News that he plans to attend the Nov. 10 meeting.

“This group is a bunch of commuters who feel like they’ve been disenfranchised by the CTA and want to take action to bring back service to pre-pandemic levels,” he said.

One of the group’s services provides stickers to commuters to report late buses and trains. 

“We take that information and we aggregate it and take it right to the CTA board,” Fielder said.

If service and safety don’t improve significantly, Lopez says it’s time for a change in leadership. 

“CTA public transportation is the lifeline for the hundreds of thousands of people who use it on a daily basis,” he said. “If we are not providing a safe quality service to the people, then perhaps we need some leadership changes in the agency.”