O'Hare station train crash

Last updated

O'Hare station train crash
OHare Airport L crash, March 2014.jpg
The crashed train atop the escalator
Details
DateMarch 24, 2014;10 years ago (2014-03-24)
2:50 a.m. CDT
Location O'Hare station, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Coordinates 41°58′52″N87°54′03″W / 41.98111°N 87.90083°W / 41.98111; -87.90083
CountryUnited States
Line CTA Blue Line
Operator Chicago Transit Authority
Incident typeOverran bumper
CauseOperator falling asleep at controls
Statistics
Trains1
Injured34
Damage$11,196,796

On March 24, 2014, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) passenger train overran the bumper at O'Hare station, injuring 34 people.

Contents

Accident

At 2:50 a.m. local time (07:50 UTC) on March 24, 2014, a passenger train overran the bumper at O'Hare Pictograms-nps-airport.svg . The front car of the eight-car train partially ascended an escalator. [1] While a spokesman initially stated that it was likely that the train entered the station at too high a speed, [2] later estimates indicated that the train entered the station at 25 to 26 miles per hour (40 to 42 km/h), which was not an excessive speed. [3] At least 50 firefighters and paramedics responded to the accident. [4] Thirty-four people were injured. [5] They were taken to the Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, the Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, the Resurrection Hospital and the Swedish Covenant Hospital. [1]

O'Hare station; the train involved in the accident used the center track, with no train on it in the photo CTA blue line O'Hare.jpg
O'Hare station; the train involved in the accident used the center track, with no train on it in the photo

Following the accident, the line between O'Hare and Rosemont was closed, with a replacement bus service in place. A CTA spokesman initially stated that the line could be closed for as long as 48 hours while recovery of the train was undertaken. [1] This was later revised upwards to a week. [3] The front two cars of the train were damaged in the accident. [1] Damage was estimated at $6,000,000. On March 26, work began to scrap the lead car on site. [6] The derailed train was removed from the station on March 27. [7] The station reopened on March 30, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. The escalator damaged in the crash was replaced by stairs. [8] Damage amounted to $11,196,796. [5]

Train

Photographs show that the train involved in the accident was made up of four two-car 2600-series trainsets, with 3061/3062 as the leading pair. [9] [10]

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened an investigation into the accident. [11] Investigators focused on the theory that the motorwoman, 25-year-old Brittney Tysheka Haywood, [12] fell asleep at the controls. [1] She stated that she had recently performed "a lot of overtime". [13] When interviewed by the NTSB, she admitted falling asleep at the controls and disclosed that she had done a similar thing the previous month, which resulted in an overshoot at Belmont (Blue) on February 1. She did not reveal to CTA that she had fallen asleep when questioned about the overshoot. [14] [15] The investigation was hampered by the train's lack of a train event recorder, although it was fitted with a video camera. The recording from the camera was examined. [1] Images from 41 cameras within the station were also studied. [3] The NTSB's report ultimately confirmed the original findings. [16] [17]

Aftermath

As a direct consequence of the accident, the CTA reduced the speed limit into the O'Hare station from 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) to 15 miles per hour (24 km/h). The area of the speed limit was also extended away from the station. [15] The train operator was fired. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Metro</span> Rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area

The Washington Metro, often abbreviated as the Metro and formally the Metrorail, is a rapid transit system serving the Washington metropolitan area of the United States. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which also operates the Metrobus service under the Metro name. Opened in 1976, the network now includes six lines, 98 stations, and 129 miles (208 km) of route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago "L"</span> Rapid transit system in Chicago, Illinois, US

The Chicago "L" is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length, at 102.8 miles (165.4 km) long as of 2014, and the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States. In 2016, the "L" had 1,492 rail cars, eight different routes, and 145 train stations. In 2023, the system had 117,447,000 rides, or about 350,900 per weekday in the first quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Transit Authority</span> Transit agency in Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago "L" and CTA bus service. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 279,146,200, or about 881,400 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago

The Blue Line is a 26.93-mile-long (43.34 km) Chicago "L" line which extends through The Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and across the West Side to its southwest end at Forest Park, with a total of 33 stations. At about 27 miles, it is the longest line on the Chicago "L" system and second busiest, and one of the longest local subway/elevated lines in the world. It has an average of 64,978 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line, part of the Chicago L system

The Green Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the only completely elevated route in the "L" system. All other routes may have various combinations of elevated, subway, street level, or freeway median sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Chicago Loop derailment</span> Deadly crash of a rapid transit train in Chicago, Illinois

The 1977 Chicago Loop derailment occurred on February 4, 1977, when a Chicago Transit Authority elevated train rear-ended another on the northeast corner of the Loop at Wabash Avenue and Lake Street during the evening rush hour. The collision forced the first four cars of the rear train off the elevated tracks, killing 11 people and injuring at least 268 as the cars fell onto the street below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Hare station</span> Chicago "L" station

O'Hare is a Chicago "L" station located at O'Hare International Airport, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of The Loop. The northwestern terminus of the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line, it is a subway station with two island platforms serving three tracks, situated under the parking garage for Terminals 1, 2, and 3. Trains are scheduled to depart from O'Hare every 2–7 minutes during rush-hour periods and take about 40 minutes to travel to the Loop. It is the westernmost station of the Chicago 'L' system. It is also the only station without coordinates in Chicago's grid system, the only underground terminus, and is the only terminal that does not directly connect to any CTA or Pace buses. It is also one of two terminals that does not have a yard assigned to it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Cumberland is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. Situated on the Blue Line between Rosemont and Harlem, the station is located in the median of the Kennedy Expressway at Cumberland Avenue in the O'Hare community area on Chicago's Northwest Side. It is also in close proximity to both the Norwood Park neighborhood and the city of Park Ridge as well as the village of Norridge. The area surrounding the station consists of mixed commercial and residential development.

The current rolling stock of the Chicago "L" rapid transit system consists of four series of railcars. The oldest series is the 2600-series which was built between 1981 and 1987 and refurbished between 1999 and 2002. The second series is the 3200-series, built between 1992 and 1994 and refurbished between 2015 and 2018. The third and newest series is known as the 5000-series; built between 2009 and 2015, they feature new technologies such as LED color signs, security cameras, new seating configuration, AC motors, and interior LED signs displaying date and time. The most recent order consists of the 7000-series cars that are planned to replace the 2600-series cars, with options for additional cars that would replace the 3200-series cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Massachusetts train collision</span>

On May 28, 2008, shortly before 6 p.m., two westbound MBTA trains collided on the Green Line D branch between Woodland and Waban stations, behind 56 Dorset Road in Newton, Massachusetts. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) originally found the cause of the accident to be due to the operator texting while driving, but the NTSB later found that the operator of the rear train, Terrese Edmonds, had not been using her cell phone at the time of the crash, but rather went into an episode of micro-sleep, causing her to lose awareness of her surroundings and miss potential hazards up ahead. The collision killed Edmonds, and numerous others were injured. Fourteen passengers were taken to area hospitals; one was airlifted. This crash, along with another similar accident a year later, led the NTSB to set higher standards and regulations regarding the use of cell phones while operating a train.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June 2009 Washington Metro train collision</span> 2009 public transit accident in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Northeast

During the afternoon rush hour of June 22, 2009, a subway train wreck occurred between two southbound Red Line Washington Metro trains in Northeast, Washington, D.C., United States. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it; the train operator along with eight passengers died, and 80 people were injured, making it the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incidents on the Washington Metro</span> Collisions, derailments, and other accidents involving the WMATA transit service

There have been numerous incidents on the Washington Metro over its history, including several collisions causing injuries and fatalities, and numerous derailments. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has been criticized for disregarding safety warnings and advice from experts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Washington Metro train derailment</span> Train derailment in Washington D.C.

The 1982 Washington Metro train derailment was an incident involving a single Orange Line Washington Metro train during the afternoon rush hour of January 13, 1982, in Downtown Washington, D.C. in the United States. The train derailed as it was being backed up from an improperly closed rail switch between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations, and caused the deaths of three passengers. Several survivors were trapped for hours, and 25 were injured. The incident was the first resulting in a fatality involving the Metro system and remained as the deadliest incident occurring in the system until the June 22, 2009, collision that resulted in nine fatalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2600-series (CTA)</span> Class of Chicago L rail cars

The 2600-series is a series of Chicago "L" car built between 1981 and 1987 by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 600 cars were built, and 493 of them remain in service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December 2013 Spuyten Duyvil derailment</span> Passenger commuter train accident that killed four

On the morning of December 1, 2013, a Metro-North Railroad Hudson Line passenger train derailed near the Spuyten Duyvil station in the New York City borough of the Bronx. Four of the 115 passengers were killed and another 61 injured; the accident caused $9 million worth of damage. It was the deadliest train accident within New York City since a 1991 subway derailment in Manhattan, and the first accident in Metro-North's history to result in passenger fatalities. The additional $60 million in legal claims paid out as of 2020 have also made it the costliest accident in Metro-North's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1971 Salem, Illinois, derailment</span> Train crash in Salem, Illinois on June 10, 1971

The 1971 Salem, Illinois derailment occurred on June 10, 1971, when Amtrak’s City of New Orleans passenger train derailed near Salem, Illinois. It is sometimes referred to as the Tontiderailment, after the unincorporated community of Tonti, Illinois, which was the site of the crash. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the derailment was caused by a false flange on a flat wheel caused by a seized axle bearing. The crash killed 11 people and injured 163. It was Amtrak's first fatal accident since assuming control of most intercity passenger trains in the United States on May 1, 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Chicago train crash</span> 2023 railway incident near Howard CTA station

On November 16, 2023, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) passenger train collided with maintenance equipment north of Howard station, injuring 16 people.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nickeas, Peter; Bowean, Lolly; Wronski, Richard; Geiger, Kim. "Focus in CTA crash falls on operator fatigue, braking system". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  2. "Chicago airport train derailment injures 32". BBC News Online . Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Esposito, Stefano. "'Automatic stop' kicked in before CTA train crashed at O'Hare". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  4. Nickeas, Peter. "'I got tossed from one end of the train to the other'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Board Meeting: Chicago Transit Authority Train Collides with Bumping Post and Escalator at O'Hare Station". National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  6. Keyser, Jason. "NTSB: Train operator asleep before Chicago crash". WIST. Associated Press. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  7. "Derailed train removed from O'Hare, station to reopen this weekend". Chicago Sun Times. March 28, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  8. Seidel, Jon; Charles, Sam (March 30, 2014). "Blue Line station at O'Hare, scene of derailment, reopens". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  9. "Police: Commuter train derails at Chicago airport". WAVY. March 24, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  10. Esposito, Stefano; Rossi, Rosalind; Owen, Jordan; Slefo, George P. "Blue Line train derails at O'Hare, climbs up escalator; 32 hurt". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  11. "Chicago Transit Authority Train Collides with Bumping Post and Escalator at O'Hare Station, Chicago, Illinois, March 24, 2014" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. April 28, 2015. NTSB/RAR-15-01. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  12. Goudie, Chuck. "Train operator identified in Blue Line crash". WLS-TV ABC 7. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  13. "Union: Chicago train operator 'extremely tired'". Crain's Chicago Business. March 24, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  14. Wronski, Richard. "NTSB: CTA operator admitted falling asleep before O'Hare crash". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Esposito, Stefano; Rossi, Rosalind. "CTA operator awoke 'when she hit,' dozed off before, NTSB says". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  16. "Train driver in O'Hare CTA crash told investigators, 'I'm not clear as to when I actually ... dozed off'". Chicago Tribune. March 27, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  17. Hilkevitch, Jon (April 28, 2015). "NTSB report: Blue Line crash shows CTA should update, add safety systems". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  18. "CTA Fires Operator In Blue Line Crash At O'Hare". CBS Chicago. April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2019.