Moments Before CTA Yellow Line Crash Detailed In Federal Report

SKOKIE, IL — Federal transportation safety officials on Tuesday released their preliminary report summarizing last month's train crash and derailment near the Howard station.

Thirty passengers and seven Chicago Transit Authority workers were injured on the morning of Nov. 16 when a CTA Yellow Line train collided with a snowplow that was on the tracks for a training exercise.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board report, the operator of the train was aware the snow removal machine was on the tracks but did not know it was stopped about 370 north of a red signal indication.

The train was headed southbound at about 54 mph when it got the command to stop from the signal system.

At that point, the machine and the six CTA workers aboard it were about 2,150 ahead. The signal system at the site of the crash was set up to allow a stopping distance of 1,780 feet or less, according to the NTSB.

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After getting the stop command, the operator immediately started applying full brakes. The operator then spotted the snow removal ahead and initiating an "emergency braking application," which slowed the train down to about 27 mph before it struck the snow removal machine.

NTSB investigators plan to focus on examining the design and configuration of the CTA's signal system, the braking performance of the railcars and samples of organic material collected from the top surface of the rails at the accident site to determine if they had an effect on the accident.

The transportation safety agency's complete report is expected to take up to 18 months. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy discussed the preliminary investigative summary with reporters Tuesday afternoon, explaining investigators do not believe the operator was at fault in any way.

Homendy has said investigators determined that a design problem was responsible for the train not having enough distance to stop.

"This leads us to further testing of the rail cars themselves, and the system itself," Homendy told reporters Tuesday.

Homendy said investigators are probing when the CTA had last updated its signaling systems.

"When CTA's transit system and trains were configured, it was quite a while ago, operations change, and there are a lot of factors that go into stopping distance," she said.

Investigators plan to continue examining the crashed train and recorder data, comparing it to the performance of other trains of the same model.

As part of the testing, NTSB investigators will stage recreations of the crash to see if they could repeat the wheel slippage, Homendy said.

The collision caused an estimated $8.3 million in damage to CTA equipment, according to the NTSB, which reported 16 people were hospitalized, three with critical injuries, as a result of the crash. Earlier reports from first responders suggested more people were initially taken to hospitals.

CTA President Dorvel Carter said that his agency would continue to provide full access to all facilities and personnel.

"In keeping with NTSB protocol, all inquiries about the incident are being directed to that agency, and CTA is currently unable to discuss the specifics of the ongoing investigation," Carter said in a statement.

The Yellow Line, also known as the Skokie Swift, has been shut down since the crash, with the CTA deploying buses to shuttle passengers along its three-stop route.

According to the NTSB board chair, the site was turned over to the transit agency on Nov. 20 and it is solely the decision of CTA officials when to reopen the line.

"We are not saying the line is safe. I will say that passenger rail, overall, is an extremely safe mode of transportation. Much safer than getting in your car on any day," Homendy said.

Homendy said CTA officials have notified the federal agency that they would reduce the maximum speed on the Yellow Line from 55 mph to 35 mph and lower the limit at the site of the crash to 25 mph, but they have not indicated that they have made any changes to the design or configuration.

"It is up to CTA to ensure the safety of their system," she said.

In response to the crash, attorneys for several injured passengers have filed lawsuits against the CTA, alleging that the collision was "completely preventable."

Read more:

• Nearly 40 Injured In Train Crash, Derailment At Howard Street Station
• CTA Yellow Line Crash Probed By NTSB Investigators
• Passengers Hurt In CTA Yellow Line Crash Begin Filing Lawsuits
• No CTA Yellow Line Reopening Date More Than 2 Weeks After Crash