CTA Trains Running Normally Again After Storm Damage Delays Blue, Red, Brown Lines
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Normal service on the CTA's Blue, Red, and Brown lines has resumed Monday morning, hours after trains were temporarily suspended due to storm damage, including a canopy that fell onto the tracks.
Around 7 p.m. Sunday, the storm tore apart the canopy of the pedestrian walkway from Paulina Street to the Illinois Medical District stop on the Blue Line, sending a section of the aluminum structure onto the electrified tracks below.
CTA officials said they have not determined if the damage was caused by a lightning strike or strong winds.
Blue Line service has been temporarily suspended between Pulaski and LaSalle due to an obstruction.
— cta (@cta) July 25, 2016
A passerby on the Eisenhower Expressway shot video of the aftermath, as the metal structure fell onto the tracks, causing a huge explosion of sparks.
Just passed the L collapsing at Racine on 290- unbelievable! #storms @BenBradleyABC7 @jerrytaft pic.twitter.com/nC2tXuUXqo
— Isles OfErin (@IslesofErin) July 24, 2016
For people on a Blue Line train at the station, it was even worse, as they wondered how they would get out of harm's way.
"I'm thinking, 'Okay, we're not getting off here.' It was so much sparks flying. You see the fire. You just smell so much burning, like this train is fixing to burn, because she won't even move up. I guess the train couldn't move. I don't know how the system works. I guess she just couldn't even move it, so we're just right in it," CTA passenger Cherry Cannon said.
The train was evacuated, but no injuries were reported.
The CTA said the walkway itself did not collapse, but the pedestrian ramp to Paulina remained closed Monday morning. A 50-yard section of the walkway's canopy was missing due to storm damage.
Trains were temporarily running on a single track only between UIC- Halsted and Racine overnight, while crews removed the damaged canopy from the tracks. Normal service was restored around 4:15 a.m. Monday.
Trains on the Red Line and Brown Line also were temporarily halted Sunday night on the North Side, due a tree that fell on the tracks near Armitage around 7 p.m.
Service on the Red Line was suspended between Grand and Belmont, but normal service was restored around 8 p.m. Brown Line service was suspended between Armitage and Sedgwick, but normal service was restored around 3:30 a.m. Monday.