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12/14/2023
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is implementing several safety measures in response to last month’s crash between a passenger train and a snow removal machine on the Yellow Line.
The transit agency announced the measures in reaction to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) newly released preliminary report of the accident, which sent 16 people to the hospital for treatment of injuries. Three people were critically injured, according to the NTSB.
The accident occurred Nov. 16, when a southbound CTA train collided with a stationary CTA snow plow. The train operator was aware that the plow was operating on the Yellow Line as part of a training exercise but did not know its exact location, according to the report.
Shortly before the collision, the southbound ploe stopped about 370 feet north of a red signal indication. The train was traveling about 54 mph when the operator received a stop command from the signal system because the plow stopped on the track about 2,150 feet ahead. The operator immediately initiated a full-service braking application to stop the train. The operator then saw the plow and initiated an emergency braking application. The train decelerated to about 27 mph before striking the snow plow.
Preliminary review of the train’s event recorder showed that the wheel-slide protection system activated throughout both braking applications.
The NTSB's ongoing investigation is focused on the design and configuration of the CTA signal system, the design and braking performance of the rail cars involved in the accident, and examination of organic material present on top of the running rails investigators collected to determine what impact, if any, this material had on the accident.
The CTA Yellow Line service remains suspended; a date for reopening has not yet been set. Before service resumes, the CTA is taking the following steps: • reducing the maximum speed from 55 mph to 35 mph;• cleaning of debris and accumulated residue, deposits or films along the running rails of Yellow Line tracks;• implementing manual blocking for non-revenue vehicles such as snow plows and other work equipment;• requiring rail operators assigned to the Yellow, Red and Purple lines to receive an in-person overview of the safety enhancements; and• requiring CTA supervisors and managers to accompany Yellow Line train operators for the first several trips when the Line reopens.
"The CTA is currently engaged in an extremely thorough review of all aspects of the Yellow Line mentioned in the NTSB preliminary report, from signals to tracks to equipment, as well as testing trains to ensure safe operation," CTA officials said in a statement. "These activities require time to perform, and once this review is complete, CTA will determine a plan to reopen."