A morning Metra train heading into Chicago was held up at the Western Springs train station for about 20 minutes Thursday morning during a thunderstorm, as workers investigated a mechanical problem.
The ticket agent said she heard “a God awful noise,” as train 1256 was pulling into the station about 8:20 a.m.
She was not sure if it was thunder or the train backfiring.
Eddie Montalvo was working in Casey’s Market, at 915 Burlington Ave., right across from the train station, when he said the noise “trembled the whole store.” He saw a flash of light in the store’s window, but nothing more specific than that.
Metra spokeswoman Meg Riley said BNSF officials said the train had some sort of mechanical issues, but it was not confirmed the train was hit by lightning.
Workers resolved the mechanical problems and the train was able to continue eastbound into the city after about 20 minutes, Riley said.
Western Springs Public Safety Department officials said they had not had any reports of lightning strikes as of noon Thursday.
But Tina Messina, owner of Maley’s Flower Shop, across the street from the railroad at 919 Burlington Ave., said she heard a “really loud” noise and then her radio stopped for a second at about 8:20 a.m.
Jim Werderitch, who was working in the Western Springs Fruit Store, at 925 Burlington, said he heard “a crash and a bolt really quick, so you know the thunder was right overhead. We knew it hit real close, but we didn’t know where.”
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