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Two tracks open again after Metra derailment near Naperville

Metra service returned to near normal with only a couple of reported delays Monday evening as the system recovered from a morning train derailment east of Naperville.

Metra reported an inbound train scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 4:58 p.m. was delayed, as was another supposed to arrive at 5:23 p.m. The latter was operating about 15 to 20 minutes behind schedule, according to a Metra service alert, because it had to use a single track east of the downtown Naperville station.

Two tracks were to be available once the second delayed train got through, and spokesman Michael Gilles said the rest of the afternoon rush was expected to run on schedule.

The last lingering delays were caused by one car of an empty passenger train that derailed about 5:15 a.m., Gilles said.

The derailment occurred when a train was heading from its overnight storage location in Aurora to the Fairview station on the east side of Downers Grove where it was to begin its inbound trek to Chicago, Gilles said. No passengers were on board.

Morning trains on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Line were delayed up to 40 minutes after the car came off the rails. At least one train was canceled, two others ran combined and others heading west stopped at Lisle.

Gilles said delays were "not as bad as we initially expected" when the rail service advised riders to seek alternate routes. But the derailment slowed the commutes of thousands.

"It affected the whole morning rush hour with the exception of three trains that operated before that one," Gilles said.

The derailment did not require a response from nearby public safety agencies; Naperville and Lisle police, the DuPage County sheriff and the Naperville Fire Department all said they were not called to the scene.

Gilles said Metra crews placed the affected car back on the rails and moved the train out of the way by about 1:45 p.m. Then crews completed minor repairs before opening the second track through the area.

  Workers remove a piece of track from where a Metra train derailed early Monday morning just east of the downtown Naperville station. Crews were continuing minor track repairs Monday afternoon, but expected to have two tracks open for the evening rush. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Crews work at the site where a Metra train derailed early Monday morning just east of the downtown Naperville station. The derailment delayed many morning trains but was not expected to have a significant effect on the afternoon rush. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
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