CHICAGO — Rush hour commuters on the CTA Brown Line were evacuated at Wells and Wacker due to a power outage on the tracks, city personnel said Tuesday.

Officials with Chicago Fire and CTA said power loss to the third rail near Merchandise Mart caused service to be temporarily suspended between Armitage and the Loop.

Because of the several hundred on board, emergency crews led passengers off the train down a catwalk to Merchandise Mart station. No injuries were reported.

Chara Nease was among the hundreds of evacuees. She told WGN News that the Brown Line is her regular mode of transportation to her evening workout, boarding the train at State and Lake and departing at Ravenswood.

Shortly into her ride, she says the train stopped and the power went out.

“I heard sirens and at first, I didn’t piece together that the sirens were for us,” Nease said via a video interview. “But then I realized we had an emergency.”

As passengers sat in the dark, Nease said the delays grew.

“(Minimal) delays turned into major delays,” she said.

After about 45 minutes, passengers were notified that they would have to cross the track. Power was cut near Merchandise Mart to allow the crossing. As a result, multiple CTA lines were affected amid one of the busiest times of the day.

“I’ve never had to walk the train tracks to Merchandise Mart,” Nease joked.

Around 6:45 p.m., less than 100 passengers remained on the stalled train, with some expressing caution about using the catwalk over the river. Firefighters and CTA crews helped guide the unnerved passengers across the catwalk and onto the platform, Nease added.

“They were so amazing,” she said. “I’m so grateful for them.”

Shuttles were nearby to help Brown Line passengers reach their destination. But no harm, no foul, says Nease, who told WGN News she’d be back on the train Wednesday, as is routine.

“Yes, back on it tomorrow,” Nease said with a smile.

Regular train service has since resumed.