‘Significant delays’ in train, vehicle traffic in NW suburb after person fatally struck by Metra

Authorities warned of “significant delays” in train and vehicular traffic in a northwest suburb of Chicago “for the foreseeable future” after a person was struck and killed by a Metra train Friday afternoon.

Around 2:30 p.m., traffic on the Union Pacific Northwest Metra train line was halted near Mount Prospect after a train struck and killed a pedestrian near the intersection of Northwest Highway and Mount Prospect Road, authorities said.

Aerial footage captured by NBC Chicago Sky 5 showed several police cars in the area, with some blocking traffic.

Police asked people to avoid the area and other downtown train crossings in a post on social media.

“There has been an accident involving a train on the train tracks west of the intersection of Northwest Highway (Route 14) and Mt. Prospect Road. This will cause significant delays in train and vehicular traffic for the foreseeable future,” Mount Prospect police said in the post.

“Extensive delays are anticipated,” Metra said in a post on their UP-NW X account.

Around 3:45 p.m., Metra told NBC Chicago there would be at least another hour of delays.

The incident caused cancellations on both the Union Pacific Northwest line and the Union Pacific North line, with several trains scheduled to depart Friday afternoon not operating.

UP-NW train no. 633, no. 635, and no 637 — all scheduled to depart Ogilvie Transportation Center Friday afternoon between 3:22 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., would operate shortened routes due to the crash. Metra announced the changes on their social media and website around 3:35 p.m.

UPN train no. 360, scheduled to depart Waukegan at 5:30 p.m., would not operate, nor would UPN train no. 345, scheduled to depart Ogilvie Transportation Center at 3:40 p.m., Metra said on their website.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for more on this developing story.