Looted freight train near 18th and Western halts Metra's BNSF Line for two hours

Metra’s BNSF Line was stopped for about two hours Tuesday morning after thieves broke into a freight train on Chicago’s West Side, according to Metra.^{1, 2} The train was hit near 18th Street and Western Avenue.^{2, 3}

Metra said BNSF trains were halted at Western Avenue just before 9 a.m. because of the incident and police activity.¹ Inbound and outbound trains were moving again just before 11 a.m., but Metra warned that some would be “extensively delayed,” NBC Chicago reported.¹ Some trains ran on changed schedules, and riders were directed to metratracker.com to follow their trains, CBS Chicago reported.²

Metra said its passengers were safe.¹

On the tracks

Aerial video from the news stations showed opened packages and cardboard boxes scattered along the tracks.^{1, 2, 3} FOX 32 reported that Metra had to wait for police to release the tracks before service could resume.³

The Chicago Police Department confirmed to NBC Chicago that a burglary took place but gave no further details.¹ CBS Chicago said police referred its questions to BNSF.² No arrests were reported.^{1, 2, 3}

What the railroad said

BNSF did not comment on Tuesday’s break-in specifically.^{1, 2} In a general statement, the railroad said it has “robust” security protocols and that its own police department works to prevent such crimes.^{1, 2}

The railroad also said “cargo theft is not a victimless crime,” noting that many packages carry medicine, food and other critical supplies.^{1, 2} BNSF described “the serious and growing threat that organized cargo theft poses to public safety,” according to CBS Chicago.²

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has a unit that investigates thefts from freight trains, FOX 32 reported; the station said it had asked the office for comment.³

Not the first time

In October 2024, burglars broke into shipping containers on a freight train in the Austin neighborhood during an hours-long daytime heist, CBS Chicago reported.² Video at the time showed people carrying flat-screen televisions from a train car to waiting vehicles.²