Overview
- Switch failures began around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, stopping train No. 1247 near Halsted Street before it was taken out of service.
- Metra initially forecast up to 20-minute holdups on inbound and outbound trips, later increasing estimates to as much as 45 minutes.
- By about 6:41 p.m., trains were moving again but were expected to operate with extensive delays, according to Metra.
- Large crowds formed at Union Station for a second straight evening during severe cold, following warnings of heavy congestion.
- Metra said it is working with Amtrak to review the episode and warned delays could carry into Thursday’s morning rush.