Derailed freight train on fire near Elgin cripples Metra service
SUN-TIMES MEDIA November 3, 2011 6:54AM
Updated: December 6, 2011 8:08AM
A fiery freight train derailment in northwest suburban Bartlett Thursday morning crippled Metra service on the Milwaukee West Line and forced authorities to seal off the area.
Some 22 cars of a freight train derailed and three caught fire about 5:30 a.m. in an industrial area in unincorporated Cook County between Elgin and Bartlett. There were no immediate reports of injuries and Elgin firefighters said they were talking to two engineers aboard the train’s engine that was stopped near Thornberry Road north of New Spaulding.
The derailment occurred on a north-south Canadian National rail line (the former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern line) near where it crosses the east-west Milwaukee West commuter rail line.
With the disabled train blocking the Metra tracks, Metra shut down its line Thursday from Bartlett to Elgin. Though there was limited service between Bartlett and Chicago’s Union Station.
“Based on preliminary information from the derailment site, it appears that the service disruption may be lengthy,” Metra officials said. “At this time, no train traffic can move through the area and we have no indication as to when service will resume. We advise all Milwaukee West line customers to seek alternate transportation.”
An update on Metra’s website said normal service is not expected to resume until at least Friday.
Most commuter trains on the Milwaukee West line are stored overnight in Elgin, so the wreck cut them off from being used anywhere between Spaulding and Chicago.
Metra also said two buses would carry some stranded outbound passengers from Roselle to Elgin and Elgin’s Big Timber Road station. But in general, Metra officials urged commuters to use the Union Pacific West Line (Geneva to Chicago) or Union Pacific Northwest Line (Crystal Lake to Chicago) as an alternative.
The North Central Service, which intersects with the Milwaukee West Line, was running normally.
Canadian National spokesman Patrick Waldron said two of the cars that derailed on the northbound Canadian National train contained hazardous materials, which did not leak or catch fire. At least one car that derailed contained acid and another contained sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or lye, according to reports.
Bartlett firefighters were still trying to extinguish the fire, which was burning in some cars containing paper materials, he said.
He did not know how many cars the train has and said it was not known why it derailed, said Waldron.
The tracks being used by the Canadian National train and the Metra tracks will be closed for at least the rest of the day to facilitate clean-up and investigation, he said. Part of the investigation will be to test the trains’ crew for drugs or alcohol.
Bartlett Police Sgt. Geoffrey Pretkelis said three freight cars caught fire but none contained hazardous materials. One was empty and the other two contained scrap metal and fiberboard, he said. Pretkelis said two cars on the train did contain hazardous liquids but these cars were not leaking and seemed to be out of danger. Area businesses and homes were not evacuated.
Both Elgin and Bartlett firefighters were on the scene along with railroad investigators. Elgin police were sent to the city’s three Metra train stations to tell commuters the line had been shut down.
Hours after the derailment smoke could still be seen rising from the disabled train. But Pretkelis said a locomotive had pulled 90 of the freight cars southward, away from the derailed part of the train.
Two roads remained shut off at 10 a.m. — Spaulding Road between Gifford Road and Naperville Road, and Lambert Lane between Spaulding Road and U.S. 20.
Just before 7 a.m., Elgin School District U46 emailed its families and employees there would be “significant delays in transportation” Thursday morning because of the derailment. U46 serves both Elgin and Bartlett.
Contributing: Dave Gathman, Rosemary Sobol, Victoria Johnson, LeeAnn Shelton
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