Metra train struck by lightning on North Side
(Ron Cogswell/Flickr)
CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - Union Pacific North Line trains are experiencing extensive delays Tuesday morning after a Metra train was struck by lightning in the North Side Rogers Park neighborhood.
Outbound train No. 309, scheduled to arrive in Kenosha at 8:18 a.m., was stopped shortly before 7:30 a.m. when it was struck by lightning, causing a mechanical failure near the Rogers Park Station at 7000 N. Ravenswood Ave., according to an alert from Metra.
Metra spokesman Tom Miller said no injuries were reported.
The train was combined with outbound train No. 311 and is running up to 80 minutes behind schedule as of 10 a.m., according to the transit agency. It will express from Rogers Park to Highland Park, then make all stops to Kenosha.
All outbound trains are experiencing “extensive” delays, according to Metra. Inbound trains are running between 10 and 40 minutes behind schedule.
Customers were urged to listen to platform announcements for the location of trains or refer to Track Your Train for current delay information.