Stalled Train Causes Delays for Plainfield Drivers, School Buses

A broken-down Canadian National train stalled in Plainfield for several hours Thursday morning, blocking crossings and causing delays for drivers and buses making their routes to District 202 schools.

District 202 spokesman Tom Hernandez at around 7:30 a.m. said the train was blocking numerous crossings in and around downtown Plainfield.

Mechanical issues were behind the problems Thursday morning, Plainfield police said. Sgt. Mike Fisher said CN was working to uncouple the train cars to allow traffic through railroad crossings.

By 8:30 a.m., District 202 said middle school and high school regular education bus routes had been largely completed, and elementary school bus routes would likely be unaffected by the issue.

“We may still see some ripple effect with a handful of special education routes later this morning, depending on traffic.,” Hernandez said.

As of around 9 a.m., the crossing at Lockport Street and Miles remained blocked, along with the Renwick Road crossing, police said.

In addition to the mechanical issue, regulations governing how many hours train crew members can work meant that CN employees were waiting for new crew members to relieve them. Fisher said it was unclear how long it could take for the relief crew to arrive.

Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton also said there was no indication of how long the stalled train could remain on the tracks in Plainfield, calling the situation “quite a mess.”

It’s not the first time a stalled or idling train has caused issues in the village.

Last winter, village trustee Paul Fay voiced concerns after a stopped train essentially split the village in half, halting traffic for more than half an hour.

In May, trustee Jim Racich expressed anger after a CN train sat idling near downtown Plainfield for more than six hours — even though the railroad was not violating any laws by leaving the train there.

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