Jan. 26--A nagging switching problems led to major delays on CTA train lines through the Loop during the morning rush Monday.
Service was nearly back to normal by noon, with only minor delays reported on the Brown Line, according to the CTA.
The height of the delays, the CTA had to turn trains away in the Loop as it worked to fix a switching problem that began Sunday night and carried over into rush hour.
Purple Line trains were routed through the subway, while Orange Line trains ran on the outer track in the Loop and Brown Line trains on the inner track, according to CTA spokesman Catherine Hosinski. Pink and Green line trains made their stops as normal, but heavy delays were reported on all trains in the Loop.
CTA crews worked through the morning to fix a switching problem at a tower at Wabash Avenue and Van Buren Street. It was not clear what caused the problem.
Crews had been dealing with the problem since Sunday evening and had reported minor delays, but the CTA began reporting major delays because of the problem about 7:40 a.m. Monday.
Trains on the Green, Orange, Purple and Pink lines in the Loop were also delayed because of the issue on the Brown Line. CTA officials could not say when the problem would be resolved.
Riders were urged to take alternate travel routes or plan for extra travel time, Hosinski said.
The delays sparked a burst of frustration on the Chicago Tribune's Facebook page.
"Missed an interview because of this," tweeted Sofia Perez.
"Just another day in Chicago," shrugged Uriel Argueta.
