Normal CTA train service restored in Loop in time for evening rush

Despite delays that soured the morning commute for thousands of riders Monday, normal service has been restored to all train lines in time for the evening rush, the CTA said.

Train lines were snarled by a switching problem Monday morning, leading to various train lines shuffled above and below ground. The CTA had tried to shuffle trains to different tracks Monday morning to alleviate congestion problems. But many riders were delayed, some more than an hour.

A switching problem on the Near South Side was the cause of the “significant delays,” said CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski. They lasted several hours but were mostly resolved by about 10:30 a.m., Hosinski said.

The only residual effect from the morning mess was felt on the Brown Line, where trains continued to run on the inner tracks for awhile longer, forcing riders to wait on the opposite platform than they are used to.

The CTA’s Twitter account was flooded with messages from angry customers who were late for work.

Here’s a sampling: