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Updated June 28, 2026 — A car stuck on the Union Pacific Northwest tracks near downtown Des Plaines halted Metra trains Wednesday morning.
The vehicle, a red van with at least two flat tires, was on the rails near the Miner Street/Northwest Highway crossing, across from Don’s Dock restaurant. A flatbed tow truck arrived on scene, and railroad workers stood by as crews worked to pull the van off the tracks. Metra said the estimated delay time was unknown at that point.
The interruption came during the morning commute, affecting riders on one of the busiest inbound routes from Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Passengers were advised to watch for schedule changes and allow extra travel time while the incident was being cleared.
No injuries were reported, and by Sunday, June 28, Metra’s alert system no longer showed the disruption — a strong sign that the tracks were reopened and trains had returned to normal operation.
Rail safety experts remind drivers that if a vehicle becomes stuck on train tracks, the safest move is to exit immediately, move diagonally away from the rails, and call 911 or the number on the blue crossing sign. Attempting to push the vehicle off the tracks is extremely dangerous, especially if a train is approaching. This incident in Des Plaines is a reminder of how one stalled vehicle can bring rail traffic to a quick stop.
Metra and Union Pacific continue to urge drivers to obey crossing signals and never stop on the tracks. More details may be added as they become available.
