2nd pipe burst at Union Station this week
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A burst sprinkler pipe impacted commuters in the South Concourse for the second time this week.
Metra said the leak at 4:30 p.m. Friday impacted three service lines: BNSF, Heritage Corridor and Southwest Service. Metra redirected passengers who were unable to reach trains on tracks 6 and 8.
Photo: Tom Arra/@tom_arra
"We are trying our best. Unforeseen things like this happen and we have to scramble. We did the best we could to get people to their trains on time, I think it worked pretty well. I know it was a little confusing and we apologize for that and thank them for their understanding," said Michael Gillis, Metra spokesperson.
On Tuesday, a different sprinkler pipe burst and created a mess during rush hour in the South Concourse.
PHOTOS: Pipe burst at Union Station earlier this week
Metra leases the space at Union Station from Amtrak. As a result of the problems on Tuesday, Amtrak announced changes to foot traffic to try to keep more exterior doors closed - but the plan has not yet been fully implemented.
"We've drained it, we've reduced the pressure on it and we've been fixing it, but it really points out why we announced earlier today some changes on how the building is going to be managed and how traffic flow is going to be managed to try to keep more heat in the building," said Marc Magliari, Amtrak spokesperson.
The cold caused water problems across the Chicago area. A pipe burst at Ogden International School on Chicago's Near North Side earlier Friday, but the school was able to clean up before classes resumed.
A pipe also burst at the Forever XXI clothing store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue. It was a similar scene at DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville, where all three floors were inundated.
The bitter cold also caused problems at O'Hare Friday night. American Airlines canceling 16 flights because of frozen underground fuel lines. Delays were running around 30 minutes.
While Friday night was bitter cold, the weekend should be a bit warmer. Saturday's highs are expected to be in the teens and Sunday's highs will be in the upper 20s.
