What Causes Delays To SS Trains?

Reasons for Train Delays:

What are all the different causes for delays to South Shore trains?

Here are the ones I've seen:

1. Track Construction.

2. Having to wait for late-running Eastbound/ Westbound train while approaching single track.

3. Having to wait for Metra trains.

4. Late turn of equipment (caused by train arriving at Randolph/ Gary Metro/ Carroll Ave./ South Bend too late).

5. Interfearence from stalled/derailled trains.

6. Red/ black/ malfunctioning signals.

7. Speed restrictions caused by extreme weather (Ex: Extremely hot weather).

8. Car blocking the crossing (I've never had this one happen on a train I've been on, but heard it's happened).

9. Mechanical failure.

10. Unusual circumstances (Example: A couple of months ago on a Sunday train I rode from South Bend, the train was stopped at the Carroll Ave station because of somebody reported her money being missing. The conductor said "No one is boarding or leaving this train until we find the money! The cops are coming!"

11. (I think it's happened, but never on a train I've been on) A medical emergency.

12. Higher than normal passenger boarding.

13. Passenger being bounced from train for missing stop, disorderly behavior, boarding without ticket or money, etc., and slow to leave the train when ordered.

14. Being behind a late-running train.

I'm sure there are others. I'll add as I think of more.

Does anybody have one they could add to the list of what causes South Shore trains to run late or be delayed?

The most common ones I experiance are the extra-high passenger boardings and waiting for Metra - for a good read, check the back issues of First and Fastest for a story on working the Kensington Tower. CSS trains waiting to enter the main to a backseat even to IC coal trains. CSS trains were moved off the main ASAP to keep out of the way of IC suburban trains. There was great fear in the 70's that the CSS train would stall on the interlocker or snag the catenary there, tying up the entire main.

Also, beware the new signals may have some bugs and might result in delays for the next year.

This morning I heard about trains experiencing delays due to signal outages after the storms that hit Michigan City the other day.

8. Car blocking the crossing (I've never had this one happen on a train I've been on, but heard it's happened).

We had this one last week, Our crews ripped up the Holman Ave grade crossing to re-do it..someone tried to drive over it anyways.


10. Unusual circumstances (Example: A couple of months ago on a Sunday train I rode from South Bend, the train was stopped at the Carroll Ave station because of somebody reported her money being missing. The conductor said "No one is boarding or leaving this train until we find the money! The cops are coming!"


Yet another first hand part in this one...I was on this train..someone stole my money bag.

AArnett wrote: 8. Car blocking the crossing (I've never had this one happen on a train I've been on, but heard it's happened).

Happened to the train I was on once, a few months after the new South Bend Airport terminal opened. We were going west (south) along Bendix and struck a car at the Ardmore crossing. Driver claimed he thought the train was making a station stop there! Anyhoo, we were delayed about 15 minutes while a police report was being made out, then another ten minutes at Shops when we had to switch trains after the engineer flat-spotted the wheels throwing the train into emergency.

AArnett wrote:10. Unusual circumstances

About 10 years ago I was on an eastbound that had just left Randolph St. Somewhere around 75th Street on the Metra Electric someone placed a shopping cart on the right-of-way when we smacked right into it. Five minute delay while the crew inspected the train for any damage.

AArnett wrote:13. Passenger being bounced from train for missing stop, disorderly behavior, boarding without ticket or money, etc., and slow to leave the train when ordered.

I've seen this happen a few times. One that sticks out most was a couple guys who were totally tanked up and refused to put out their ciggys. RR police met the train at Hegewisch and attempted to civilly "escort" the guys off the train, but not before one of them went truely mental on the Po-Po!

Hi All,

I like the one where someone is faster than his buddies and runs like mad to the train, and then HOLDS the doors open until they catch up and get on board. That will slow you up. Usually the conductor hops on the PA and yells like mad.

Turning out to be a fun thread.

I know disorderly passengers could causes delays (esp. on the late night [11:15 and 12:45] trains, when the drunks and troublemakers seem to be most apt to be out).

15. Accidents (like JLJ mentioned).

16. Late-running passengers. (Pennsy gave me this idea as conductors usually wait for runners, and people holding the door open will also do it.

Two more:

17. Person applies emergency brake. (Seen it happen twice. Was not real emergency either time: both times it was a person missing a stop and stopping the train so can get off at that stop.

18. A common one: Adding/removing cars in middle of route (Usually at Gary Metro or Carroll Ave.).

Talk of maintence and change delays reminds me of the running on Train 20: I often get on Train 20 in Dune Park or Beverly Shores after my daytime Nature Hikes in the Dunes, and it used to be that Train 20 would arrive in Dune Park on time or close to it (with only two cars usually, four at most) but have to wait for an Eastbound before Miller (delaying it five minutes), and then have cars added on at Gary Metro, delaying the train another five minutes. Now, this train always arrives in Dune Park full length (six or eight cars), but always ten minutes or so late (and passes the said EB near Ogden Dunes). (Train 20 still just as before always gets stopped by EBs at Kensington, then and now, so it's stil rarely on time to Chicago.). I take it that they now add cars to this train at Carroll Ave. instead of Gary Metro. Is this change perminent and be posted on future schedules? Do they still ever add cars to any train at Gary Metro en route anymore?

AArnett wrote:17. Person applies emergency brake. (Seen it happen twice. Was not real emergency either time: both times it was a person missing a stop and stopping the train so can get off at that stop.

Oh, I know that's a REAL BIG no-no! What happened to the people who did it? Would have loved to have seen them get hauled away in cuffs for that little stunt!

I know trains are stored at Gary, but I don't know if additions are made at Gary anymore. PRR would likely be the best authority there. I also think a storage track was added west of the station, complementing the east-side track. Drive past mid-day and you can see about 4 MU's parked there, but they are more likely a short-turn train than spare stock for planned addition to a train.

When they do the traffic reports on the radio, do they use coded terms to indicate the problem? I know in the NYC area 'police investigation' almost always means someone got smooshed by a train, or went around a crossing. ...

Nasadowsk wrote:When they do the traffic reports on the radio, do they use coded terms to indicate the problem? I know in the NYC area 'police investigation' almost always means someone got smooshed by a train, or went around a crossing. ...

It's a little more specific here. If the reason is due to an "incident with a car (or pedestrian)", then the delays to South Shore or Metra service will be announced in that manner. If the delays are caused by something else, it's probably best to listen to an actual "news" station; other outlets tend to be a bit vague...

I've remembered two more stories told to me by other employees.


One was a woman that decided to get off the train as it was leaving Hudson Lake by jumping out the little engineers window of the car, and they had to wait for police etc to get there. Turns out she was off her medication at the time.

The other was a guy that was so intent on not missing his train at Randolph St he ran down the platform after it and hung onto the ladder on the rear car until Van Buren...once again Police was called.

On the topic of making adds at Gary Metro, yes it does still happen, in fact tomorrow, instead of train 14 getting an add at Carroll Ave, it's getting one at Gary...an experiment I suppose. Usually this train gets a 2-4 car add at shops everyday. All the 200 series trains turn at Gary and Trains 7,9,and 109 have been known to drop cars there for 18,220, and 20

Trains hitting eachother???

Lets us not forget!

Ice on the wires (During Winter)?

Damaged Pantographs?