Rock Island Line Metra trains to be delayed 30 minutes due to derailed freight train

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A derailed freight train at 123rd Street on the city's Far South Side is causing delays on the Rock Island Metra main line that travels to Joliet.

Thursday afternoon outbound trains will be delayed 30 minutes because they have to be rerouted through the Beverly Line.

Passengers going outbound and all the way to Joliet can also catch the Heritage Corridor Line out of Union Station.

Customers who use the 95th St./Longwood and 103rd St./Washington Heights Stations will be served by shuttle trains departing LaSalle St. on an hourly basis beginning at 4:10 pm.

Train No. 407, which departs LaSalle St. Station at 3:45 pm, will not stop at 95th St./Longwood or 103rd St./Washington Heights.

Train No. 620, the 4:18 pm departure from Blue Island/Vermont St., will not operate today.

For inbound Beverly Branch customers, Train No. 518, which departs Joliet at 2:21 pm and arrives at LaSalle St. at 3:48 pm, will be the last inbound train serving the Beverly Branch line until further notice.

The freight train, partly owned by Iowa Interstate Railroad, derailed about 10 a.m. near 123rd Street, according to Metra spokeswoman Meg Reile.

The freight car that is blocking the Rock Island Line tracks was empty at the time of the derailment, Reile said.

A crane started removing the derailed cars at 1:50 p.m., but Reile said the crane has to move three other cars before it can get to the car that is blocking the Metra tracks.

"We're hoping we'll be able to open everything up by mid-rush hour," she said.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.