(The Associated Press circulated the following on June 6.)
CHICAGO — Animal fat leaking from a freight train has caused delays on Metra commuter trains in the Chicago area.
Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet says the nontoxic substance started leaking onto tracks running through Villa Park, Elmhurst and Lombard at around 3:30 p.m.
Cars passing across tracks laden with animal fat then carried the slippery substance onto roads. Pardonnet says that, in turn, caused several accidents on those roads.
Trains leaving the Ogilvie Transportation Center on the Union Pacific West Line stopped for more than an hour as crews responded.
The trains are moving again. But Pardonnet says they still have to run slowly through the affected areas, so trains could face delays for several more hours.