CHICAGO — No injuries were reported when a Metra Rock Island District train derailed Monday morning as it approached LaSalle Street Station, halting service on the route to Joliet, Ill., for almost five hours.
The Chicago Sun Times reports inbound train No. 704 derailed near 14th Street, less than a mile from its destination, about 8:30 a.m. About 600 people were on board; they were transferred to another train to complete their journey. Other trains were halted near 35th street, where they were able to transfer to Chicago Transit Authority trains, which honored Metra tickets.
WMAQ-TV reports outbound service resumed just before 1 p.m., with the first inbound departure from Joliet about 2:30 p.m. A total of nine midday trains were cancelled. Outbound service remained limited, Metra advised on its website, with delays up to 55 minutes.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Metra reports on X/Twitter that a normal schedule is anticipated on Tuesday, although delays of up to 15 minutes may be possible. Watch Metra.com and its social media channels for updated information.
What needs to be shut down is that atrocious rat hole LaSalle Street Station in Chicago. It’s a disgrace to America. How did it happen?
I’m (usually) not one to play the race card/ class envy card. In this one case I will. The Rock Island District tends toward the lower reaches of the socio-economic scale, compared to other METRA services. Is that why its Chicago terminal is such a rotting stink-up?
Charles,
It’s been many years since I’ve been down to LaSalle Street Station, but I seem to recall that there is a small waiting room and ticket office there w/ restrooms, and little if nothing else. The old (original) LaSalle Street Station was demolished many years ago (1981?) and a tall office building was constructed on the footprint of the original LaSalle Street Station head building. I only went in the “old” LaSalle Street Station (Rock Island) once or twice in the late 70s and early 1980s and recall it being very dingy. Well past the “glory days” of the Rock Island Railroad.
As for the current dingy LaSalle Street Station (operated by Metra), its poor condition relative to other Metra commuter rail stations in downtown Chicago sounds like Metra is not treating all of their customers “equitably” – time for “Mayor Pete” to investigate Metra Commuter Rail for a lack of “Equity” (?)
Your knowledge of the social and economic demographics of RID ridership is very poor. The LaSalle station is adequate for its task. It is not a rat hole, nor in poor condition, nor should it be compared to Ogilvy or Union Station because it is built into an office building Metra doesn’t own. Some foamers think Union Station is a rat hole! The “glory days” of passenger stations of the 20th century are long gone, if they ever existed at all except in nostalgia.
And on the anniversary of the shutdown of the Rock Island Railroad (August 28th, 1979), after which point, the Kansas City Terminal operated the Rock under the auspices of its owners until early 1980, when the Rock Island was ordered liquidated by the bankruptcy courts.
“Final” shutdown of the Rock Island was on March 31st, 1980.
The “Ghost of the Rock Island” strikes again …?
Despite all the problems, it can be called solution-oriented Metra.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün