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Red And Brown Line Trains Halted As Thunderstorms Propel Debris Onto Tracks

By  Ariel Cheung and Alex Nitkin | July 24, 2016 8:32pm 

 The Brown Line train.
The Brown Line train.
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Wikimedia/JeremyA

OLD TOWN — Brown Line service was disrupted Sunday evening after a thunderstorm's onslaught left tree debris strewn on the tracks.

Service was suspended between Armitage and Sedgwick, according to the CTA. Bus shuttles were set up through the affected area, and officials advised passengers to use alternate bus routes until the tracks were cleared.

The tree debris fell near Armitage Avenue, which also halted Brown Line trains between the Loop and Southport stops earlier in the evening. Red Line service stopped from Belmont to Grand.

Crews began clearing the debris around 7 p.m., but the transit authority had to deal with emergency issues farther south, as well.

Service was suspended on the west branch of the CTA Blue Line after lightning struck the platform at the UIC-Medical District station Sunday evening, according to Fire Department officials.

RELATED: Blue Line Delays After Lightning Stikes Platform: Fire Officials

Firefighters evacuated the train at the station and no one was hurt, according to Fire Cmdr. Walter Schroeder. 

Blue Line service was suspended between the Pulaski and LaSalle stops, according to the CTA. Shuttle buses are available for connecting service from Pulaski and LaSalle.

Some of the debris also fell onto the outbound Eisenhower Expressway, blocking some lanes, according to reports.

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