Chicago Station Derailment

[WatcherZero]

32 injured when eight carriage commuter train enters O'Hare International Airport too fast overshoots platform, mounts sidewalk then climbs escalator.

 

[Saint66]

Thank goodness it happened at nearly 3am local time, otherwise the platforms could have been packed if it happened during the day!

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Wow, certainly a dramatic incident, very fortunate to have so few injuries.

 

[Clip]

Wow, looks like something from one of the Die Hard films.

 

[poshfan]

BBC news quoted some one as saying they think it was going too fast when it reached the buffers. :roll: No xxxx Sherlock.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Not really a 'commuter train' as the media is reporting; it's a Blue Line "el" train, so really more accurately the equivalent of a subway or metro train.

I know the airport station quite well, it's underground so they might struggle to get a crane down there to move the wreck. There is another platform so services should be able to continue but it's a big blow for O'Hare if the train is out of action.

 

[swt_passenger]

BBC news quoted some one as saying they think it was going too fast when it reached the buffers. :roll: No xxxx Sherlock.

The BBC 'journalist' was earlier reporting that the train had 'mounted the pavement'... :roll:

 

[185]

Crikey... I walked down that staircase just 2 weeks ago lol

Should point out, I may be a ---- magnet, but this ain't my fault

 

[WatcherZero]

Couple of updates, drivers union (Chicago transit union) has said they dont believe that she was speeding (couple of staff witnesses say train approached at normal speed) but that she may have fallen asleep and failed to brake as she had complained of being tired and worked a lot of overtime recently, though they say she had 17 hours downtime between her current shift and previous one. She had been a driver for the Chicago Transit Authority for around a year.

 

[redbutton]

It's eerie to see those pictures- I used to work for an airline at O'Hare on a shift that ended at 0130. I could easily have been walking down those stairs when this happened (at around 0200) if I hadn't moved to England.

 

[Clip]

Not really a 'commuter train' as the media is reporting; it's a Blue Line "el" train, so really more accurately the equivalent of a subway or metro train.
.

All depends on how you would define what a commuter is. Id say its a person going to from work. If people use the train for such a thing then it certainly is a commuter train is it not?

 

[Yew]

I hope those injured are not injured too seriously, and recover soon.


What is the design of the buffers at the end of that platform?

 

[jamesontheroad]

All depends on how you would define what a commuter is. Id say its a person going to from work. If people use the train for such a thing then it certainly is a commuter train is it not?

In the context of Chicago, Metra would more accurately be described as commuter service, since their biggest passenger flows are weekday inbound/outbound with the rush hour (and they have limited weekend service).

Yes, people commute on CTA, but it's closer to a metro style operation (almost 24/7, multiple hubs) rather than the radial commuter routes of Metra.

[ Takes off pedantic hat ]

 

[WatcherZero]

Does indeed look like something out of Die Hard.

[youtube]OlTQFDEqk0k[/youtube]

 

[Strathclyder]

Yikes. Just as well it happened in the early hours, or it would've been total carnage. Hope the injured recover quickly.

 

[Jones]

Could have been much worse.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

What is the design of the buffers at the end of that platform?

This picture, possibly taken from the escalator has a decent image of the platform end.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/CTA_blue_line_O'Hare.jpg

Wouldn't be surprised if they don't use that platform again, it does seem like there is little to no excess for any train that overruns the buffers and as shown if feeds right into the busiest part of the platform.

 

[Lockwood]

Guess and speculation time:
Driver thought he was going to one of the outside platforms and not the bay?

 

[redbutton]

I wouldn't think so. This is a terminus station and the outer tracks end just outside the view of that photo. An extra couple of meters at most. A train that overshot the center track would have overshot either of the other tracks by just as much, only it would have gone straight into a wall rather than up the stairs.

 

[Lockwood]

Fair enough - I was just going by that picture as I saw it.

I'm guessing that that incident would not happen over here due to Moorgate controls?

 

[westcoaster]

NTSB say the driver was dozing off, i will try and find the link


http://m.click2houston.com/news/ntsb-driver-was-asleep-when-train-hit-chicago-airport/25188600

 

[WatcherZero]

Driver has also admitted falling asleep and partially missing a station before.

 

[edwin_m]

All depends on how you would define what a commuter is. Id say its a person going to from work. If people use the train for such a thing then it certainly is a commuter train is it not?

The Americans typically use "Commuter Rail" to refer to what we would think of as suburban trains on mixed traffic networks. What we would call "Metro" is sometimes known Stateside as "Heavy Rail".

Never has "divided by a common language" been more true than when trying to discuss modes of transport.

But on both sides of the pond the word "commuter" actually means someone who has a "commuted" (discounted) ticket for regular travel, such as a season ticket.

 

[WatcherZero]

Driver has now been sacked (second serious safety violation).

Aside from repositioning the safety equipment at the station and lowering the maximum entry platform entry speed theyve also brought in a series of changes to working practise.

Limit of 12 hours in 14 worked.
Mandatory six day week limit.
Minimum downtime between shifts raised from 8 hours to 10 hours.
Limit of 32 hour week if a driver has less than a years experience.