Purple Line Service Halted After Train Derails Leaving Howard Station
Purple Line Train Derails
(STMW) -- A derailed Purple Line train and a power outage at the Howard rail yard caused delays on multiple train lines Friday evening and halted some trains altogether.
The northbound train was leaving the Howard station about 6:05 p.m. when it experienced a "minor derailment," according to CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski.
Train service was temporarily suspended in both directions, although normal service had resumed on the Purple Line as of about 9:15 p.m., Hosinski said. Shuttle bus service that had been implemented between the Howard and Linden stations will run until 9:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Yellow Line service remained suspended in both directions as of 9:15 p.m., Hosinski said. Riders are being asked to use the Red Line or bus No. 22, 147 and 151 in Chicago, bus No. 97 in Skokie and No. 205 in Evanston.
Passengers say the derailment felt like a series of bumps. Then the two hours of waiting began, before they could be moved out of the cars.
"There were no lights and there was no heat in the trains. We were sitting there for two hours, just freezing," passenger Solomon Hatch tells CBS 2's Pamela Jones.
Red Line trains were also experiencing residual delays as a result of the derailment, Hosinski said. Riders can expect delays to be more severe further north on the line, especially closer to the Howard station.
A power outage at the Howard rail yard about 4:55 p.m. also contributed to delays Friday evening, Hosinski said. Backup generators were brought in to operate rail switches, and Hosinski could not immediately say whether power had been fully restored at the station as of 9:15 p.m.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
