Metra, Amtrak delays possible Thursday morning after train derailment

Delays on Metra and Amtrak trains at Union Station are possible during Thursday morning’s rush hour after a partial train derailment that caused delays throughout the day on Wednesday.

The extent of the delays depend on how much the derailment can be repaired overnight, according to Metra spokesman Michael Gillis. Crews were working to remove the train from the tracks Wednesday, and repairs will also have to be made to multiple switches damaged in the derailment that control tracks to the station’s South Concourse platforms.

An inbound SouthWest Service train was arriving at Union Station about 10:50 p.m. Tuesday when the third, fourth and fifth cars derailed, according to Gillis. The other five cars of the eight-car train and the locomotive remained on the tracks, and the derailed cars remained upright.

Three passengers were on the train at the time and no injuries were reported, the statement said.

During Wednesday evening’s rush hour, Metra’s BNSF and SouthWest lines experienced delays up to 30 minutes, Metra said in a statement. Delays of up to 15 minutes happened on the Heritage Corridor line.

Amtrak trains also experienced delays of between 30 and 45 minutes, the transit agency said in a statement. Service in the station’s north concourse, including Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains, was “largely unaffected.”

Amtrak and Metra customers should check information displays and listen carefully to boarding announcements because some trains could be arriving and departing from tracks that differ from normal.

Riders should check back Thursday between 4 and 5 a.m. to see if their trains are delayed, Gillis said.