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Metra can't guarantee it won't have even more delays Friday because it is still dealing with this bitter blast. The problem, once again: frozen switches on tracks. CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports.
Switching and mechanical problems - as well as at least two cars stuck on the tracks - caused delays and a few cancellations on several Metra lines during the Thursday morning commute.
A Lake County Sheriff's detective escaped his unmarked squad car before it was struck by a Metra train Monday night after getting stuck in the snow.
Frigid conditions in the Chicago area continued to create problems for drivers, commuters, and air travelers, leaving passengers stuck at the airport, and even stranded on Amtrak trains headed to Chicago.
Metra canceled dozens of trains Tuesday and combined several other inbound and outbound routes on BNSF and Union Pacific lines as historically cold temperatures continued to wreak havoc on the rail system.
Some Metra commuters experienced delays of up to two and a half hours on their morning commute, especially on the Milwaukee District Lines.
Four people reportedly were taken to hospitals after a Metra Rock Island train hit a concrete retaining wall while pulling into the station downtown.
Inbound Union Pacific/Northwest Line no. 630 struck a truck that was backing into a lumber yard in the 6900 block of North Northwest Highway about 8:20 a.m.
Interim Chief Executive Officer Don Orseno says Metra wants the "positive train control" system but is asking for an extension of the January 2016 federal deadline.
Metra and other railroads have until the end of 2015 to install "positive train control" systems – which allow a computer to override human error, and take control of a train, but railroads have asked for a three-year extension to implement the system.
The pedestrian was struck around 5:45 p.m. by Burlington North Santa Fe line Train No.1288 near the Main Street Metra station in Downers Grove.
A person was hit and killed by a Metra train in southwest suburban Tinley Park Friday morning, halting Rock Island District trains in both directions.
The commuter rail agency's high-wind solution is decidedly low-tech -- the anemometer, a wind-speed measuring instrument that has been around for more than 500 years.
The train was disabled and stopped near the Glen Ellyn Depot Metra Station since about 4:30 a.m., preventing traffic from crossing the tracks at three crossing gates, but moved out of the way by 8:30 a.m.
A pedestrian died when he walked in front of a Metra train in northwest suburban Park Ridge.
Volodimyr Matkivski, 41, of Warminster, Pa., was cited for ignoring a posted sign warning motorists about the 22-foot clearance between the tracks and Bartlett Road.
Metra officials said Tuesday morning that they expect "normal" service on the Milwaukee District West Line following a Monday afternoon crash betweeen a train and semi truck that injured two near northwest suburban Bartlett.
A Metra commuter train has collided with a truck transporting automobiles near Bartlett, delaying service Monday afternoon.
The agreement kept intact the historic division of the supposedly discretionary funds: 98 percent to the CTA, 2 percent to Pace, while essentially forgiving a $56 million loan to the CTA that CTA has characterized as a grant and offering Metra $2 million for capital projects.
A key figure in last summer's Metra transit scandal is now working for the state of Illinois in a recrafted job after a referral from Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Metra Union Pacific/North Line trains are stopped near north suburban Lake Forest because of a suspicious package Friday morning.
A suspicious package at a downtown rail station created a major commuter headache for some Metra and South Shore train riders.
Trains on Metra's Union Pacific/Northwest Line were being delayed Wednesday morning, after a cyclist was struck by a train near Mount Prospect.
Oberman fought machine politics in his days at City Hall, and frequently clashed with former Mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael Bilandic, and Jane Byrne. He was also an ally of former Mayor Harold Washington before Oberman resigned in 1987.
Governor Pat Quinn's transit task force has morphed from checking up on Metra to designing a transit system that's the envy of the world after a few local issues are settled. John Cody reports on day one.
The House on Thursday unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, sending it to the president's desk.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy reached a deal to buy 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, the site of recent protests and police response.
As many as 150,000 Illinois SNAP participants will lose their benefits on Friday due to new, stricter eligibility rules in the Trump Administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill."
The minor league baseball season is starting and the Joliet Slammers are kicking theirs off with the Big House Ballgame in the Old Joliet Prison Yard.
What would you say if we told you a man was living inside the Cloud Gate statue in Millennium Park, commonly known as The Bean?
The House on Thursday unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, sending it to the president's desk.
The Coast Guard will run out of funding to pay personnel on May 1, with the first missed paychecks expected May 15.
Illinois lawmakers are not planning to pursue a constitutional amendment on redistricting after a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday.
Spirit Airlines only has enough available cash to continue operations for a matter of days, not weeks, and talks for a government-backed rescue of the no-frills carrier have stalled, sources say.
Illinois Democrats resoundingly decried the Supreme Court's decision Wednesday that significantly weakens the Voting Rights Act.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
The second-largest physicians' group in the U.S. has issued a surprising switch in breast cancer screening recommendations.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Holiday Club in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood will soon be going out of business, as the building that houses the popular bar is set to be torn down.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
Investment research firm Morningstar could move into the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago once Google is done renovating the former Illinois state government building.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
International airline Air France-KLM said the cost of jet fuel for their planes has jumped to $2.4 billion because of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran.
The U.S. Attorney for Northern Indiana announced charges in and shared details about "Operation Porterhouse Parlay," a joint investigation executed by the FBI and other federal agencies into an alleged illegal gambling operation run out of Northwest Indiana restaurants.
Border Tails Rescue in Northbrook is looking for a home for Mocha. Learn more here.
Chilly but clear Thursday with highs in the mid-50s. Patchy frost possible overnight with scattered showers evening into night.
The Illinois commission investigating "Operation Midway Blitz" released its final report meant to hold federal agents accountable for their actions.
Prosecutors said 22 people were arrested in Northwest Indiana FBI raids for "Operation Porterhouse Parlay" targeting an illegal gambling ring.
Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign got an utterly surprising visitor on campus on Wednesday.
The Illinois Accountability Commission issued recommendations following an investigation into and hearings on the Operation Midway Blitz immigration crackdown in Chicago.
The House on Thursday unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, sending it to the president's desk.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy reached a deal to buy 1,500 beagles from Ridglan Farms, the site of recent protests and police response.
A top administrator in the Libertyville school district has been placed on leave after a fiery school board meeting focused on how the district handled allegations of grooming leveled against a former teacher.
Potholes along one stretch of road in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood are so bad, people say they damage their cars just getting to work.
There are so many issues with the DNA evidence in the case that Payne's conviction has been overturned, and a retrial has been ordered.
A mother in southwest suburban Morris, Illinois, is fighting for stiffer penalties for adults charged with grooming children. Some local lawmakers agree, saying Illinois' current law is too weak and puts kids in danger.
Almost 24 hours after a derailment made a mess of the Red, Purple, and Yellow lines in Chicago, the CTA continued to investigate the cause of the incident, and experts were raising concerns about what they called a troubling pattern.
The Cubs have won 12 of their last 15 games.
Reese is all smiles as she returns to Chicago to face her former team, the Sky, in preseason action on Wednesday night.
Rookie Sam Antonnaci hit a tying triple with two outs in the ninth inning and Colson Montgomery had a winning single in the 10th, lifting the Chicago White Sox over Los Angeles 3-2 for a three-game sweep that extended the Angels' losing streak to six.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a three-run homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night to stop their three-game slide.
Colson Montgomery homered in the second off Angels starter José Soriano (5-1), ending his shutout streak at 25 2/3 innings.
A woman has been charged with shooting a 15-year-old boy outside an indoor track facility near Gately Park in Chicago in 2024, after getting into a fight with another woman during a back-to-school event in the Pullman neighborhood.
Sexual abuse charges were filed this week against a Park City, Illinois, police officer.
Attorneys for the man convicted of the murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have filed a new brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn his case.
Attorneys for a woman convicted of killing her 69-year-old landlord in Chicago's Arcadia Terrace community have filed an appeal.
Police in Cicero, Illinois, were investigating after burglars targeted gaming machines at a slots and video poker business early Wednesday.
