(The following story by Richard Wronski appeared on the Chicago Tribune website on October 22, 2009.)
CHICAGO — Metra officials said Thursday’s freight locomotive derailments in the South Loop are delaying the inbound commuter trains that are running on the Southwest and Heritage Lines this morning by 30 to 50 minutes. Many trains on the Southwest Line have been canceled.
Heritage Corridor trains will depart on time this morning. Five Southwest Line trains will operate on a modified timetable but the remainder of the day’s schedule–inbound and outbound–has been canceled , Metra said on its Web site.
Metra advised commuters on both lines to consider using the Rock Island or Burlington Northern as alternatives.
The last of four derailed locomotives was put back on the tracks at 5 a.m., according to Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis, but officials still are in the process of evaluating if there is any damage to the tracks as well as a bridge over the Chicago River that was struck by the trains.
If damage is found, commuting delays could persist until repairs are made, he said.
Amtrak and Metra trains are being diverted to other tracks unaffected by the derailment.
The situation forced cancellation today of two Amtrak trains between Chicago and St. Louis. The rest of Amtrak’s Chicago schedule would encounter delays of 60 to 90 minutes, an Amtrak spokeswoman said.
Train No. 300, which was to depart St. Louis to Chicago at 4:35 a.m. and No. 301, which was set to leave Chicago for St. Louis at 7 a.m. will not operate today, according to an advisory posted on Amtrak’s Web site.
Passengers are being directed to Train No. 302, set to depart from St. Louis at 6:40 a.m. and No. 303, which will leave Chicago at 9:25 a.m., officials said.
The disruptions come as federal railroad inspectors continue to investigate the cause of the derailment that has disrupted commuter operations.
Eight unattended Union Pacific Railroad locomotives that were connected rolled out of the Canal Street rail yard near 18th Street, and four of them derailed at the bridge over the Chicago River, tying up passenger traffic all day.
Earlier, some Southwest Line trains were canceled, and others, including the Heritage Line, were delayed during the evening rush hour. Amtrak canceled two St. Louis-bound trains.
No one was hurt.
Officials had to drain diesel fuel from two of the locomotives on the bridge before cranes could lift them back onto the tracks.
Teams of Federal Railroad Administration investigators were interviewing crew members, inspecting equipment and reviewing records to determine the cause, including a possible mechanical failure or human error, spokesman Warren Flateau said. It is not unusual for train cars or locomotives to roll loose, he said. “But clearly it should not happen. It’s a serious thing to have equipment roll unattended,” Flateau said.
If human error was involved, crew members could face disciplinary actions, Flateau added.
Union Pacific had no explanation for what caused the accident or whether the locomotives’ brakes had been set, spokesman Mark Davis said.