LISLE, Ill. (WBBM/STNG) - The Chicago office of the Secret Service is calling today's Metra security scare a “miscommunication."
For nearly two hours an inbound Metra express train from Naperville was delayed in neighboring Lisle after it was stopped and search for a suspious passenger with a gun who was later identified as an armed federal agent.
Kristina Schmidt a Chicago Secret Service spokesman says one of their agents was on the train, but disputes accounts that he did not identified himself as a member of law enforcement when he indicated he was armed before boarding the train.
A spokesman for Metra said the employee contacted police when she heard the man say he had a gun. No charges were filed.
"We are certainly sorry for the inconvenience," Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said. "This impacted thousands of passengers."
Thousands of commuters were stranded as all other trains on the line were halted.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe express train No. 1252, which was not scheduled to stop in Lisle, left Aurora at 7:52 a.m. It was stopped at the Lisle station, near Lincoln and Ogden avenues, and police with semi-automatic weapons patrolled the platform as passengers on board were searched. The train was scheduled to arrive at Union Station at 8:34 a.m.
All other inbound and outbound Metra trains were halted on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line between Aurora and Chicago.
Just before 8 a.m., a Secret Service agent asked a ticket agent at the main Naperville station "unusual questions relating to security," Naperville Police Cmdr. Dave Hoffman said. Pardonnet said the man asked about metal detectors on the train and indicated he had a gun. He did not identify himself as a government employee, so the ticket agent called police.
The train left Naperville and was stopped at the Lisle station while police searched all 10 cars.
"I think people were alarmed because when Lisle police came on board, they were armed," Pardonnet said. "It's unfortunate to have to test a response, but it's good to know what that response is. And in this situation, everything turned out safe."
The investigation has been turned over to the FBI, Pardonnet said.
Amy Beert, a Naperville resident who was on the train headed to her downtown job as an actuary, said at 9:45 a.m. that the train was moving again.
Beert said police went car to car searching passengers and bags. The first three cars were evacuated, she said.
Passengers originally heard someone on the train had called 911 after overhearing another passenger talk about having a gun.
Beert said passengers were calm as police searched the cars.
According to the Metra Web site, train No. 1225, scheduled to arrive Aurora at 9:02 a.m., ended at the Downers Grove Main Street station.
Train No. 1260, scheduled to depart Aurora at 8:20 a.m., will not operate today. Trains No. 1225 and 1262 were also delayed.
Metra is running extra trains, starting at Downers Grove, to pick up commuters who were left stranded.
Once the train No. 1252 started moving again, Metra's schedule was expected to return to normal.
Contents of this site are Copyright 2009 by WBBM. The STNGwire contributed to this report.
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