Riders on Metra’s BNSF Line had major trouble getting around Tuesday, Oct. 27. Trains were halted near the Western Avenue station after thieves broke into a parked freight train on the Near West Side.
The incident happened in the morning near 18th Street and Western Avenue, on the border of Pilsen and Little Village. Footage from the scene shows cardboard boxes and packages from the freight cars strewn across the tracks. Chicago police officers and BNSF railroad police, who protect the tracks that BNSF owns, responded to the scene.
According to the Daily Herald, Metra train traffic was stopped from 8:48 to 10:35 a.m. At least 10 trips were delayed. Metra, Chicago’s commuter rail system, warned of major delays and schedule changes for some trains. A spokeswoman for the carrier acknowledged at midday that service was still recovering from the incident. No one was injured.
Chicago police are referring questions to BNSF, and the railroad has not yet commented on the incident. No arrests have been reported. A special unit of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office handles thefts from freight trains.
BNSF is Metra’s busiest line. It connects Aurora with Union Station in downtown Chicago. Commuters heading home from work on the line today can check where their train is at metratracker.com or in the Metra app.
Source: CBS Chicago, Daily Herald, FOX 32 Chicago
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