Issues with a train collision avoidance system caused major delays for two hours on seven of Metra’s 11 train lines during the Tuesday evening rush hour, according to officials.
Metra resolved a computer problem that was hampering its collision avoidance system around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, but trains would continue to operate with delays throughout Tuesday night due to service backups, Metra spokesperson Meg Thomas-Reile said.
The system first issued a delay announcement to passengers around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Thomas-Reile said the collision avoidance system was working only intermittently, making it hard to control train traffic. Dispatchers also experienced lags as they tried to operate the system, she said.
The issues affected lines that operate under Metra’s positive train control, a system designed to prevent collisions and other safety issues. The BNSF, Union Pacific West, Northwest and North lines were not affected by the delays, because the train control on those lines is not under Metra’s system, Metra spokesman Michael Gillis said.
Trains on the seven other lines were moving, but with delays, Gillis said. The issues with the train control system were intermittent, allowing trains to move occasionally.
