A CTA 'L' car full of train enthusiasts derailed in the South Loop Sunday morning, causing delays on the Orange and Green lines that lasted for hours.
No one was hurt, but photos of the scene posted by a witness showed passengers walking on the elevated tracks to the Roosevelt stop.
The 'L' train had been chartered by a private group as part of a fundraiser. It derailed around 11:20 a.m. at 14th and Wabash, according to the Chicago Fire Department. About 40 passengers were aboard the train at the time.
"It wound up being just something different. We've done this for a number of years now, and we're all like, we all have a unique story to tell," said Daniel Boylan, who's part of the group that chartered the train.
The last car of the four-car train derailed from the elevated tracks, Fire Media Affairs said. Power was temporarily shut off in both directions between Roosevelt Road and 18th Street.
Boylan said he and his friend, Harold Krewer, were rescued by a Fire Department bucket truck, because Krewer had a previous injury that kept him from walking.
The CTA called the derailment minor, noting that a wheel came off the tracks, but the train itself stayed on the tracks and upright.
Local
As of 3:30 p.m., service had not yet been completely restored. According to CTA alerts, the Green has no service between 35th-Bronzeville-IIT and Adams/Wabash.
Service has been restored on the Orange Line. However, the Orange Line is single-tracked between Roosevelt and Halsted, causing delays.
Shuttle buses were helping passengers make their connections.
