DOWNTOWN — If you're trying to get out of the Loop on public transportation, you might want to grab dinner before heading to Union or Ogilvie stations.
Cubs fans leaving the Downtown rally and parade quickly headed toward Union and Ogilvie stations, causing massive overcrowding, according to commuters and Metra. An estimated five million people packed the city Friday for the World Series victory celebration.
The overcrowding was so bad that Metra encouraged commuters to stick around the Loop before heading for trains. Crowding will hopefully die down by the rush hour, said Michael Gillis, Metra spokesman.
Downtown stations are very crowded. Please consider spending some time downtown enjoying all of what Chicago has to offer. Update to follow.
— Metra (@Metra) November 4, 2016
Crowds packed into platforms, with some bursting into chants of, "Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit." Frantic riders complained of feeling claustrophobic, and an ambulance was parked outside Union Station.
Everywhere you look at Ogilvie. I don't see employees trying to sort/help people, I don't hear announcements. pic.twitter.com/qlZi82ycus
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) November 4, 2016
There were no reports of injuries however as of 4:40 p.m.
There was no word on how long it would take to board a train, Gillis said. Train schedules were not necessarily being adhered to as the rail line was operating at a "load and go procedure," Gillis said.
A "load and go" is when trains arrive to the station and leave as soon as they're at capacity, regardless of the train schedule, Gillis said.
He said Metra is working as hard as possible to keep the system running smoothly.
"There are very large crowds," Gillis said. "We're managing it the best we can. We are using every piece of equipment we have."
At Union Station, a conductor said many people entered the station unsure of where they needed to go.
"A lot of these people have no idea what train they want," he said.
Both Metra and CTA said they were expecting Friday to be one of the busiest days in their history, though no official rider tallies were released as of Friday afternoon.
This is Ogilvie (@Metra) right now. And the trains are full. @DNAinfoCHI pic.twitter.com/hcrH9VKcL9
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) November 4, 2016
