Tag Archives: South Shore

South Shore Train Service Suspended Thursday Morning Due to Weather

By Jen DeSalvo, WLS-AM Traffic & Transportation News

(CHICAGO) According to Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Website, all train service to and from Chicago is suspended Thursday morning due to blizzard related damage.

A blown conductor paired with a grade crossing malfunction is the cause of this suspension, therefore no trains will be in service until the proper repairs are completed by NIPSCO of Northwest Indiana.

NIPSCO has also announced that they “continue to experience significant outages due to heavy snow and high winds brought by Wednesday’s blizzard conditions.”

In a statement made by the power company, more than 250 NIPSCO employees are working to correct the damage. They have also initiated additional resources to staff the call center and emergency command center, focusing on power restoration efforts.

Metra has announced that the Electric District train line will honor all South Shore Commuter tickets until service is restored.

***As of 7:15 a.m. CST, power has been restored to the South Shore Line, though the suspension will remain through the morning commute.

© WLS-AM 890 News, 2016

UPDATE: Downtown derailment causing extensive Metra Electric delays

(CHICAGO) South suburban commuters might want to rethink their travel plans as an early Wednesday derailment downtown is causing “extensive” delays for Metra Electric District trains during the Wednesday morning rush.

Train No. 150 derailed at the 11th Street station about 1 a.m., Metra spokesman Tom Miller said. Two cars slipped off the tracks, but remained upright.

The derailed cars are blocking two of three tracks that run through the area, which means all inbound and outbound trains will have to operate on a single track until the derailment is cleared, Miller said. Delays are expected to range from 30 to 60 minutes during the morning rush.

Crews continued to work to clear the tracks as of 4 a.m., although it was not immediately clear how long it would take, according to Miller.

Metra urges riders to listen to platform announcements and monitor its website for updates.

Man turns himself in after fatally shooting ex-girlfriend, taking her kids

(CHICAGO) A 34-year-old man turned himself in to police after he shot his ex-girlfriend to death and drove off with her two kids Tuesday night in the South Shore neighborhood.

Mechelle Lewis, 28, was sitting in a minivan parked on the block where she lived in the 7200 block of South Bennett about 9:50 p.m. when her ex-boyfriend walked up and fired into the vehicle, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:11 p.m., authorities said.

The ex-boyfriend then took her 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son and drove off in a light-colored minivan, police said. He drove to the Grand Crossing District police station at 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave., where he turned himself in to police custody.

The children were not hurt and a weapon was recovered from the vehicle, according to police. Charges were pending Wednesday morning.

Police: Man fatally struck by unmarked police car in South Shore

           Man Struck on South Side – Photo from Network Video Productions

(CHICAGO) A man was struck and killed by an unmarked police car early Wednesday in the South Shore neighborhood on the South Side, police said.

The man, described only as an adult, was hit by the unmarked squad car traveling eastbound in the 2800 block of East 79th Street about 1:15 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office could not confirm the fatality at 2:50 a.m.

More details were not available early Wednesday.

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