Metra Anticipates inbound delays for SWS, BNSF, HC lines for Thursday morning rush due to Amtrak switch issue

Metra is giving a heads-up to passengers for Thursday morning's commute, saying they anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes on Southwest Service, Heritage Corridor, and BNSF inbound trains during the morning rush.   

This comes after a track switching problem at Union Station in downtown Chicago caused delays for the Metra commuter train lines during the Wednesday evening rush.

Metra said the Amtrak switch and signal issue at Union Station caused delays of up to 45 minutes for inbound and outbound BNSF trains and up to 20 minutes for inbound and outbound Southwest Service trains. At least one outbound BNSF train was canceled. On the Heritage Corridor, the final outbound train of the day to Joliet was running up to 30 minutes behind schedule due to a switch problem.

Some track changes might be necessary on the Union Station south concourse, so Metra said riders should check the gate boards at the station before boarding their train.

Metra issued an apology as the delays led to overcrowding at Union Station on Wednesday night.

"Metra apologizes for tonight's overcrowding at Chicago Union Station and the delays caused by switch problems. Metra and Amtrak are reviewing this situation and apologize for this inconvenience," the rail agency posted on X. 

Passengers are being advised to allow for extra time for the morning rush on Thursday.