Issues with a train collision avoidance system caused major delays on seven of Metra’s 11 train lines during the Tuesday evening rush hour, according to officials.
Passengers on the affected lines could face delays of 60 to 90 minutes, Metra spokesperson Meg Thomas-Reile said
The system first issued a delay announcement to passengers around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. As of 6:30 p.m., Metra officials did not yet have a time frame for when the issues would be resolved.
Thomas-Reile said the collision avoidance system was working only intermittently, making it hard to control train traffic. The agency was working to identify the cause of the issue, she said.
The issues affected lines that operate under Metra’s positive train control, a system designed to prevent collisions and other safety issues. The BNSF, Union Pacific West, Northwest and North lines were not affected by the delays, because the train control on those lines is not under Metra’s system, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said.
Trains on the seven other lines were moving, but with delays, Gillis said. The issues with the train control system were intermittent, allowing trains to move occasionally.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.