Wheaton Station Remains Closed, Temporary Warming Station In Use

WHEATON, IL — Wheaton Metra Station remains closed more than a month after a faulty furnace caused a fire to break out and cause significant damage. Commuters are currently able to seek shelter from the cold in a warming trailer, but there's no definite date when the station will reopen due to extensive cleanup that is pending approval from insurance companies.

Wheaton officials are hoping to get debris from the fire cleaned up and to equip the station with "temporary heat and temporary electricity" within the next month, Wheaton City Manager Mike Dzugan told WBBM Newsradio. In the meantime, CBS reports that customers are grateful for the heating trailer, especially during the recent bitter cold.

One customer did tell WBBM Newsradio that he thought about commuting from a different station because there had been a lot of trash on the floor, which he said was eventually cleaned up.

The temporary warming shelter has seats for about 20 passengers, according to WBBM's report.

The Wheaton Metra station was badly damaged the night before Thanksgiving after a large fire broke out in the furnace room. Java Connection, a beloved snack shop at the station, has also been closed since the blaze. Residents recently set up a GoFundMe to help aid the owners during the holiday season.

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