None Hurt In Storm-Related Freight Train Derailment

CHICAGO (STMW) -- Strong winds from a thunderstorm blew over a portion of a freight train on the West Side Wednesday night, briefly halting nearby Metra trains.

About 8:30 p.m., the heavy winds blew seven cars of a Union-Pacific freight train, on to their sides near Kedzie Avenue, railroad spokesman Mark Davis said.

The derailment happened on a branch line away from the Metra tracks, Davis said.

However, the incident prompted Metra to temporarily stop Union-Pacific/West line service, the commuter rail agency's website said. As of 10 p.m., Metra trains are moving again but are delayed between 20 and 70 minutes.

No one on the freight train was hurt and crews are working to put the cars upright again as of Wednesday night, Davis said. Each car was carrying two ocean-going containers of consumer goods.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)